Innocence Reborn
by Kagedtiger
Summary: [spoilers for the ending] Zidane has returned, but he has someone unexpected with him. Someone who must now learn how to deal with living in the real world. [slash] [[Blank x Kuja] [I make it work, I swear!] [Also contains some Zidane x Garnet]]
1. Chapter 1

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 1

  
  
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**Notes/Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX and all its characters are the property of Squaresoft. I am not making any profit from this work of fiction. **

If I made any mistakes with the FFIX continuum, please let me know. I apologize; there was a large period of inactivity right before I beat the game where I just stopped playing. So I may not have correctly remembered some details. At any rate, I also assume Kuja survived at the end. AND, since they don't really tell you how long it was since Zidane disappeared, I'm saying it was like, six to ten months. I know it was probably more, but this works better for the story's plot, so there. ::sticks out tongue:: 

Chapters will be short - more like scenes, actually. Expect that.   
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"Dagger?" Zidane said softly.

"Hm?" asked Garnet, looking up at him. Since Zidane had returned, Garnet had not let go of him for one second. Even after releasing him from her initial tearful embrace and giving him a sound lecture for making her wait so long, she still steadfastly clung to his arm, as though the second she broke contact, he would vanish.

"Dagger, there's... there's someone else that I think you should say hello to. I mean, before I go to meet everyone else."

Garnet looked up at him, her eyes darkening ever so slightly in confusion. But the emotion was barely noticeable even to her among the relief that still consumed her. "Who?" she asked.

Zidane cast a glance up into the audience, waving to his friends. She could tell that he wanted more than anything to go up and greet them, to embrace his old comrades for the first time in months. But for some reason, he hesitated.

"Come on," he said, "I'll show you."

With one last look up at his friends, he led the queen of Alexandria off backstage towards the Theater Ship. As he passed into the back, one of his friends from the gang slipped him a wink and walked out onto the stage in a similar costume, prepared to take his place in the play as the lead actor.

Zidane walked onto the ship and down a short corridor, Garnet right behind him and still holding onto his hand. When he reached the third door down, he rapped lightly on the wood. The gesture seemed more to let the room's occupant know he was there than to ask permission to enter, for he went right in without waiting for a reply.

As Zidane pushed the door open, Garnet got her first look at the person sitting on the small, low bed at the other end of the room.

"Kuja..." she gasped.

He sat on the edge of the simple cot, his hands folded neatly in his lap. At Garnet's cry, he bowed his head to her, hiding his expression. "Your Highness," he said politely, his voice soft and faintly melancholy.

Garnet looked between Zidane and Kuja in startlement. "But... Oh. I guess that makes sense. I mean, you survived, and you did go back to get him after all."

"He barely made it," Zidane admitted. "He was pretty far gone when I got there. It was quite a while before he was well enough for us to move, even after we had gotten out of the heart of the Iifa tree. And then it was slow going getting through that jungle of roots and branches. Some really nasty fauna's moved in there, let me tell you."

Garnet stepped forward, though not far enough that she had to release her hold on Zidane. "Kuja? If you're back here with Zidane, then can I assume that you have given up on your... self-destruction?"

Kuja finally lifted his head, and Garnet saw beneath his rueful expression a profound weariness. It seemed to her as though she could see his tired soul staring out at her from the depths of his eyes. "My plan to bring an end to creation, you mean? Yes. I finally realized, somewhere in that whole mess, the point of this whole existence thing. I still have a lot of learning to do, I think, but Brother is helping me."

This brought Garnet's attention back to Zidane. When he saw her looking, his expression became slightly sheepish. "Well, he is my brother. Sort of. I feel kind of, you know, responsible for him." His voice suddenly lowered to a murmur so that Kuja could not hear them.

"He needs me," he told Garnet softly. "Honestly, he's been so lost since he got back. The world is new to him, and it seems so enormous now that he can't control it. If I wasn't here, I don't think he'd last very long. He's not going to try anything big again, but he might waste away himself. He still believes that I should have left him to die there at the Iifa tree."

"Oh," said Garnet softly. Giving Zidane's hand a last squeeze and keeping half an eye on him, still a little uneasy about releasing him, she let go of his hand. With soft steps she walked across the room to where Kuja sat, his eyes once more trained on the floor.

She knelt before him, which seemed to startle him enough to look at her face. Now that Zidane had mentioned it, she _could_ see that a large part of the weariness about him seemed to be sadness. Despite this man's role in their last great adventure, she felt her heart going out to him. "It's alright, Kuja," she said softly. "You are as welcome in the palace as Zidane is. Please stay. I would be honored to get to know you."

His expression told her that he hadn't been expecting such kindness, and there was a strange, small light in his eyes when he smiled at her. Hope, perhaps, she thought.

"I would like that very much," he said.

Next Chapter

  
  
Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.   
or   
Oh God, that was hideous. Let me complain to the author. 


	2. Chapter 2

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 2

  
  
They were just exiting the Theater Ship when their friends caught up with them, mobbing Zidane. The returned hero found himself caught up in one excited hug after another. It was lucky, he thought, that Garnet had already released him, or else she would have been trampled.

"Zidane!" squealed Aiko, "You're back! Oh, I'm so happy! I missed you so much!" Zidane smiled as she jumped up and grabbed onto his arm long enough to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Oh, I knew you'd come back! I just knew it! I knew you wouldn't abandon us!"

Zidane continued to grin as he received similar greetings from the rest of his friends. They practically had to pry Vivi off of his legs before he would let Zidane go.

When the silence came, it started at the back of the group, with those who were far enough away from Zidane to see behind him. It spread from person to person, until finally Freya felt it too and stepped back from her embrace with Zidane to glance behind him at the object of the group's scrutiny.

Kuja stepped hesitantly out from behind Zidane, and because he was the only one close enough, Zidane heard him gulp. He watched as his brother bowed low to the group, an incredibly humble gesture that he would never have made in his earlier life.

The group stared dumbfoundedly at Kuja; Zidane could tell that they had no idea how to react. He tensed slightly, hoping that it wouldn't come to an argument.

It was Vivi who first broke the stare-down, walking up to Kuja with his odd, almost waddling gait that Zidane had missed so much, and proffering his hand.

"It's nice to have you with us, Kuja," Vivi said, and Zidane could see from his eyes that the little black mage was smiling.

Kuja took the hand and shook it lightly, not without hesitation. But Zidane, who had spent months alone with the man, could tell that his reticence was due not to an unwillingness to shake hands, but out of a fear of rejection by these people. For some reason it seemed to be very important to Kuja that he be forgiven by the members of this specific group. Zidane supposed he could see why.

"Come on," said Garnet. "Why don't we all go to the palace, and Zidane can relate for us his great escape from the Iifa tree!"

There was a murmur of agreement from the group, and they all began to move for the backstage exit. The subject of Kuja's reappearance seemed to have been put on hold for the moment, but Zidane was sure he'd catch an earful the second they all got him alone. He smiled, too happy to be back with Garnet and his friends to worry about it.

He held out his hand to Garnet, and she took it smiling a glorious, sunny smile that made Zidane's heart swell. As they walked back towards the castle, Zidane felt Kuja's presence as his brother followed close behind him.

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	3. Chapter 3

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 3

  
  
They sat, the eight of them plus Beatrix, in an airy drawing room near the queen's quarters in the palace. Bookshelves lined the wall opposite the window, and portraits of former monarchs adorned the other three. Zidane sat blissfully in the welcoming arms of an overstuffed armchair, while his companions sat about on couches, loveseats, stools, and in Garnet's case, the arm of his chair. Kuja had politely begged off the meeting, claiming weariness and inquiring as to where they would be staying.

Garnet had put them in a room next to her own that was usually used for guards; Zidane suspected that if she had to have him out of her sight that long, that she at least wanted him close by. It suited him fine; he didn't exactly want to be too far away from her, either. The room had two beds, so Kuja had gone up to use one of them.

Zidane took a deep breath of fresh air, enjoying the feeling of sunlight on his face and relaxing into the cushions of the chair. It was nice to finally be able to sit on something other than the hard, petrified vines and roots of the Iifa Tree, or the rough ground between the Tree and the nearest civilization, or any of the number of uncomfortable cots he'd endured on the trip between there and here. His muscles thanked him for the respite.

His friends had listened raptly to his story of Kuja's rescue, how Garnet's song had mysteriously soothed the petrified center of the Iifa tree, allowing them to cut their way out, and the arduous climb with an injured Kuja through a thick, dead jungle inhabited by monsters of the worst kind. Now, his tale told, they sat for a moment in silence.

Freya was the first to break it. "Why didn't you come straight here?" she asked.

Zidane smiled, running a hand through his hair. "A couple reasons. We weren't exactly presentable after our climb out of the Iifa Tree. And I knew that Tantalus would help me make a suitably dramatic re-entrance. That and Kuja was seriously injured. I wanted to get him some medical attention first."

It was Amarant who finally asked the question that Zidane was sure they were all thinking. "Why did you save him, Zidane? Or, if you had to save him, why on earth did you bring him back here? The guy's a psycho!"

"No," said Zidane firmly, "he's not." 'Might as well get this cleared up now,' he thought. "Kuja's changed. I know it sounds clichéd, but he realizes that he was wrong. He's just trying to figure out how to live life again, and it's not easy for him. He's not used to a world where he can't control or manipulate things. He's not used to not having any power. It's hard for him to readjust. So go easy on him, okay guys?"

Amarant still looked unconvinced, but Zidane saw a few of the others nodding thoughtfully. Quina looked oblivious, but then, Quina always looked oblivious.

"What did the Tantalus think of Kuja, when you brought him?" asked Beatrice, sounding amused.

"Well, I kind of introduced him as my brother," Zidane admitted. "And he stayed in his room most of the time and didn't come out. As it looks like he's doing now." Zidane looked up behind him, in the direction where their room was, as though he could see how Kuja was from here. He smirked at the memory of the Tantalus members' curiosity.

"So," Blank had said, after Kuja had gone to his room and he had Zidane alone. "Who's the hunk?"

Zidane blinked. "Hunk?"

"Duh," said Blank. "You remember. Gorgeous, white hair, won't say more than five words at once?"

Zidane shook his head. "I know who you mean, I'm just not used to thinking of him as a hunk." Zidane had known of Blank's tastes for a while, ever since his friend had had a crush on _him_ a very long time ago. But it still felt odd to him that anyone, male or female, would look at Kuja that way. He supposed it made sense; Kuja was, after all, undeniably good-looking. But still.

"He's my brother," he said, giving Blank a look. "And go easy on him. He's learning right now what it means to be human and have human emotions. Relationships and sex particularly are advanced study, so don't go springing it on him without warning."

"Yeah, yeah," said Blank, but Zidane could tell that he was thinking about this very seriously. 'Oh great,' Zidane thought, 'am I going to have to spend the whole trip keeping Blank away from Kuja?'

Luckily, Kuja stayed in his room most of the trip and Blank didn't make any moves, contrary to what Zidane had expected. Maybe Blank had actually listened for once. It was rare, but not unheard of.

"Your brother?" asked Beatrix, bringing Zidane back to the present.

Zidane nodded. "It's what he is, really. I mean, we were created by the same person, in succession, right? So that sort of makes us brothers, doesn't it? And I was alone with him for months, so I feel like I know him as well as a brother, anyway. It's immaterial whether it's true or not. Kuja needs a brother to look out for him, so I'm going to be one for him."

"I hope you know what you're doing," Amarant muttered.

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	4. Chapter 4

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 4

  
  
"Where's Kuja?" Garnet asked when she entered their room the next morning. Zidane was lying on his bed, dressed, but obviously still resting. Kuja was nowhere to be seen.

Zidane rolled over onto his belly and looked at her, smiling. "I noticed that your stables acquired a white dragon while I was gone," he said instead of answering her question.

"Yes," said Garnet. "The Stable Master wanted to see if they could be trained to be air steeds and carry riders. Why?"

"Kuja has a special affinity for dragons," Zidane explained. "He likes them and they like him. He's down there now, talking to it. I can't even tell you how much trouble that little ability saved when we were traveling. There were a lot of not-so-nice dragons in the Iifa Tree, and no small amount in the surrounding countryside, either. None of them would deign to actually carry us, but he could at least make them leave us alone."

Garnet sat next to Zidane on the edge of the bed, and he sat up so that they were eye-to-eye. "That would have been a nice skill to have had on our journey," she said.

"Don't I know it," Zidane replied. They were quiet for a moment, just looking at each other. Finally Zidane smiled and gestured for Garnet to come to him. She crawled forward into his lap and he held her tightly, her back to his chest.

"God, I missed you so much," he said against her hair.

"I know," she murmured back. His arms around her felt unbelievably good, and safe. She felt like nothing in the world could hurt her now. "I'm so glad you're back."

"Me too," Zidane admitted. He kissed her hair softly, and again a gentle silence fell upon them.

Garnet realized that they had never really clarified their relationship during their journey. But all that paled in the light of his return. Garnet knew that she was in love with Zidane. She had known for a long time. It was never getting to tell him that had weighed so heavily on her when she thought he was dead. And even though she knew in her heart how he had felt about her, she had never heard the admission from his lips. But now... Now he was back and he had his arms around her and everything was okay again.

"I love you," she told him softly, repeating what she had told him the previous day when he first returned.

Again he kissed her hair, and she could tell that he was smiling. "I love you too, Dagger."

This, Garnet thought, was bliss.

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	5. Chapter 5

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 5

  
  
Kuja stood with the dragon in a huge, open field surrounded by wooden fencing. He stroked the side of its muzzle gently, loving the cool feel of scales under his fingertips. He loved dragons. They were power, grace, and beauty incarnate. They were so graceful that just looking at them touched him somewhere deep in his soul. He eyed the metal shackle around the ankle of the dragon's left hind leg, and his gaze followed the chain that led from it to the peg firmly embedded in the earth nearby.

_Do the stable hands know how easily you could break that thing and fly away?_ Kuja asked silently in the mind-speech of the dragons.

_I'm not sure,_ the dragon replied, his mind-voice colored with amusement. _I don't think so. I haven't had the heart to show them._

Kuja looked at the sparkle in the dragon's eyes and couldn't help smiling himself. _So you're playing along with them?_

_For now,_ said the dragon. _We'll see how long that holds up when they actually want me to try combat. I think our species has seen enough warfare for a while._

Kuja looked at the ground, feeling his guilt swell up for the part he knew he had played in forcing the dragons to fight. He only looked up again when the dragon nudged his face slightly with his muzzle, forcing him to look into the beast's large eyes. _We don't blame you,_ said the dragon softly. _We would not have fought with you if we did not care for you. We follow you because we love you, and for no other reason._

_Even when I make the wrong decisions?_ Kuja asked.

_Regardless of your decisions,_ the dragon agreed.

Kuja smiled. _I don't deserve the friendship of your race,_ he said.

_Perhaps not,_ said the dragon, the amusement returning. _But you have it. You are a kindred soul among mortals. It does not happen often that one of you exists, and when it does, we must cherish that bond._

Kuja petted the dragon's nose for a few moments longer, then suddenly smiled mischievously. _What say you we go on a flight, hmm?_ he asked.

The dragon's reply was wordless, but the sense that enveloped his mind was an overwhelming affirmative. He knelt by the dragon's shackled leg, looked around briefly to make sure that no one could see him, and applied just enough magic to the metal to freeze it solid. When dragon gave his leg a good jerk, the metal cuff shattered into hundreds of tiny shards, leaving the scaly leg free of impediment.

The dragon grumbled a low, rumbling sort of growl to express his pleasure and lowered his head to the ground to allow Kuja access. Kuja swung himself over the beast's neck and settled himself on the shoulders, holding tightly to the small ridge of fins that swept down the spine of the dragon's neck.

Raising his head, the dragon erupted from his crouch and with a few powerful downsweeps of his wings, was high in the air, gliding easily just below the clouds.

Kuja savored the feeling of the wind whipping past his face. He had missed this very much. The wild dragons of the plains surrounding the Iifa tree had been polite enough, but they were feral and would not allow any mortal, regardless of his unusual connection to the dragon species, to even touch them, let alone mount and ride. The white dragons however had been his companions for a long time, and it was a comfort to sit astride one and feel the wind whistle around his ears and play with his long hair.

In his mind he could feel the dragon's unadulterated joy of flying, and it touched a matching joy in him. This was why he got on so well with dragons. He understood them. Their emotions meshed with some part of himself that saw the world as they did. He felt things the way that they did. He wasn't sure how that had come to be, but he could never remember not feeling that way.

The dragon roared his joy out to the world and Kuja couldn't help an answering whoop from leaving his throat as the white wings sent them plowing through the clouds.

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	6. Chapter 6

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 6

  
  
Blank was seated with his back against a rather large boulder, whittling down a twig with a knife, when he saw the white flash in the sky.

Immediately wary, he leapt up, the twig forgotten though he still clutched the knife in his hand. He peered upward, but aside from occasional flashes, it was too far away for him to see. But the way the flashes were moving, he was sure it was something alive. Taking a deep breath, he cautiously lifted the flap of his blindfold, making sure he kept his gaze securely trained on the object in the sky.

Colors assaulted him at once, a myriad of swirling shapes a hues, more information than his brain could possibly handle but somehow, through focus, practice and sheer force of will, he managed to zero in on that speck, concentrating on seeing its essence, its identity.

With a gasp, he let the blindfold fall back down. 'Dragon!' his mind screamed. He knew he ought to go back to the palace for help, but what if the dragon was here for a purpose? What if it was trying to destroy something specific in the area and he was giving it time to do so? Shit.

'Well, I think if I start fighting a dragon, someone's bound to notice, right?'

He took a deep breath. 'Holy shit. I can't believe I'm even thinking of doing this.' Clambering on top of the boulder, he got a good throwing hold on his knife and hurled it in the direction of the dragon, as hard as he could. He didn't expect it to actually do any damage, only to get the monster's attention.

It worked. Within seconds, with a roar and a great flapping of leathery white wings, a magnificent shimmering white dragon swooped down to land in front of him. To Blank's surprise, he saw someone sitting astride its neck. Someone who was currently sliding off the back of his mount and striding over to him, looking furious.

"What the Hell were you doing?!" screamed the man Blank now recognized as Zidane's brother Kuja. "What on Gaia did you do that for?!"

Blank held up his hands in a pacifying gesture. "Hey, sorry. I saw a dragon and I just thought... I mean, I assumed he was attacking-"

"That's the problem with all of you people," Kuja interrupted, ranting. "You think just because you see a dragon, it means they're automatically there to kill everyone and burn all your dwellings to the ground! I'll have you know that most dragons are perfectly content to spend most of their time just lounging around in their chosen lair, and they could care less about the lives of us mortals! They don't just attack places for the sake of killing, you moronic, disgusting-"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on now," Blank said, honestly taken aback. "It was an honest mistake, okay? Really, I apologize. I do. I didn't know. Now I know, okay? So I won't do it again."

Kuja huffed and turned on his heel. "Come Zaruyon," he said, addressing the dragon, "let us go back to the corral." He began to march stiffly away, the dragon ambling after him.

"Hey, wait," said Blank, hurrying to catch up to him and then matching his stride. "You're Kuja, right? Zidane's brother?"

Kuja's expression suddenly changed from sullen fury to an open and surprisingly vulnerable expression, though Blank could see the anger still lurking somewhere in the back of his mind, waiting to resurface. "Do I know you?" Kuja asked.

"I don't think we've been formally introduced," said Blank. He stuck out his hand. "I'm Blank. I'm a childhood friend of Zidane's. I'm one of the Tantalus. I was on the ship you came in on, remember?"

Kuja eyed the hand warily, his frown an uncomfortable omen forewarning the return of his anger. "I don't know if I want to associate with someone who throws knives at dragons."

"Aw, come on. It wasn't that big a deal." Blank lowered his hand, but continued to walk alongside Kuja. "Actually, I was really interested in meeting you. I've heard a lot about you from Zidane, and you seem really fascinating."

This time the expression Kuja turned on Blank was one of incredulity. "You wanted to meet me?" he repeated.

"Sure," said Blank. "I was actually hoping we might become friends."

In a second, the vulnerable expression was back, this time mixed with undiluted surprise. Blank was starting to see what Zidane had meant about Kuja not being accustomed to human emotions and relationships.

"Friends," the other man said softly, apparently to himself, no longer looking at Blank.

He said nothing more until they reached the corral, where the white dragon flexed the muscles of his haunches and hopped over the fence in a curiously inelegant awkward little leap. The great white beast lumbered over to the center of the pasture and flopped down, apparently to take a nap.

"Aren't you worried it's going to fly away?" Blank asked.

Kuja looked at him coldly. "_He_ could have gotten away anytime he chose before this. The pitiful system that the Stable Master rigged up to contain him was frankly laughable. He's been staying here so far of his own volition, and he will continue to do so as long as it suits him."

Duly chastised, Blank followed after Kuja as the other man began walking back towards the palace. "So, uh... how come you know so much about dragons?" he asked, not wanting to stop talking with Kuja but slightly desperate for a topic.

"I am a dragon-bond," said Kuja quietly. "It's rare among mortals, but I happen to have the gift. I can speak with them, as they speak to each other. I have always gotten along well with dragons."

"Oh," said Blank. He saw where Kuja was headed and stepped in front of him; the man had stayed locked in his room practically the entire voyage over here, and Blank would be damned if he was going to let him do it again now.

"Hey," he said eagerly, "Why don't you and I sit outside somewhere? You can tell me more about yourself. I really would like to get to know you."

Kuja looked hesitant for a moment, but then...

"Very well," he said. "Lead the way. I'm afraid I am not too familiar with the areas around the castle."

Blank grinned, sidling up to Kuja and throwing a companionable arm around his shoulders. "Hey, you just leave everything to me."

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	7. Chapter 7

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 7

  
  
"Your friend Blank makes me uncomfortable," Kuja said to Zidane that night as they were preparing for bed.

"Oh dear." Zidane thought back to the earlier talk he had had with Blank. He should have known better than to trust the man when he said he wouldn't make any moves. Blank was just born to be seductive; it was part of his nature. "Do I need to have a Talk with him?" Zidane inquired.

"No..." Kuja's voice was soft and vaguely curious. "I believe he may actually wish to become my friend. Truly. And for no other reason than he finds me an interesting person. It's odd. I've never had that happen to me before."

"Yeah well, be careful around him, okay?" Zidane said, not wanting to squelch Kuja's enthusiasm, especially when it was directed in such a positive manner, but still feeling the need to warn his brother.

Kuja looked over at him with a strange expression that Zidane had seen only once before. "I do feel uncomfortable around him, but it's not... it's not a bad feeling. I feel... very close to him. Which seems strange to me, since I have not known him long at all."

Zidane stared openly at Kuja, only looking away when his brother gave him a questioning look. Because he recognized the expression Kuja had been wearing; it was the one that he had worn when he realized that Zidane had come back for him just because it was the right thing to do. It was the expression he got when something about Gaia's people surprised him so much that it shifted his way of thinking.

Zidane decided to approach the next topic carefully. "So," he said slowly, not looking at Kuja, "how exactly do you feel around him? Besides uncomfortable, I mean."

Kuja appeared to consider this, and Zidane realized once again how new all these emotions were to him. Kuja was simply not used to feeling things the way other people did.

"I feel a little bit nervous," Kuja said finally. "Nervous, and excited at the same time. I get this strange churning feeling in my stomach, but it's warm... I don't know. It is difficult to describe."

Zidane closed his eyes. 'Oh shit. Don't be falling in love with Blank. Please _please_ don't be falling in love with Blank. I love the man, truly I do, but he does _not_ know how to care for someone as emotionally damaged as you. He's way too much of a flake.'

But he didn't say it out loud. Instead, he simply climbed into his bed and blew out the candle on his side of the shared dresser between them. Kuja shortly did the same.

"Just be careful around Blank," Zidane repeated when the darkness shrouded them. "He's a nice guy, but he's a little bit of a flake."

"Oh, I will," said Kuja.

Zidane wondered if Kuja really knew what he was getting himself into. 'Just don't get your heart broken, Brother,' he thought to himself.

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	8. Chapter 8

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 8

  
  
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**Note: Can someone please tell me if Kuja has a tail? I can't for the life of me remember. **  
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"Why do you wear that blindfold?" Kuja asked Blank as they strolled through the palace garden. "You don't seem to be blind."

Blank grinned. He and Kuja had been meeting for just over a week now, and he was finding that in addition to taking in the eye candy that was Kuja, he was actually really enjoying the other's company. Kuja was a great conversationalist, and incredibly intelligent. And besides that, he always seemed to be keeping Blank on his toes. Just when Blank had it fixed in his mind that this person was intelligent, worldly, and mature, Kuja would say something so incredibly childlike or innocent that Blank's entire view of the man would be rearranged.

Zidane had definitely been right about Kuja's emotions.

"No, I'm not blind," Blank responded. "I was in an accident as a child. Magical explosion. The only way I can see properly is if I cover my eyes with something."

"Oh." Kuja was silent for a moment. Then he said, "So what happens if your eyes aren't covered?"

"Well," said Blank slowly, trying to come up with some way to describe it, "it's strange. I don't actually see what's in front of me. I sort of see... the essence of things? I don't know. Sometimes I can see the future of what I'm looking at. Mostly I just kind of see what the thing _is_. Not what it looks like, mind you, but what it fundamentally, at its core, really represents. I see time and emotion and thought and a whole realm of other things that I don't understand. I really don't like to do it; it gives me one hell of a headache and honestly kind of freaks me out a bit as well. I don't think people are meant to see that sort of thing."

Kuja looked thoughtful, digesting this. In the course of their acquaintance, Blank had learned that the white-haired man often did this. Unlike many people who chattered to fill up silences, Kuja would often lapse into quiet, thinking things over in his mind until he had come to some sort of conclusion, which he didn't always divulge. Often his next comment would seem to be a total non-sequiter because it was the result of a long, involved train of thought.

The pattern seemed to hold true. "What color are your eyes?" Kuja asked.

Blank grinned and stopped walking, turning to face his new friend. When he was sure he had Kuja's attention, he lifted the blindfold a small bit and opened his eyes, blinking at Kuja with his own strange vision. He heard the other man gasp and grinned. His eyes tended to have that effect. He lowered the blindfold.

"That's the other reason I keep my eyes covered," he said with a chuckle. "Can you imagine me walking out in public with gold eyes? It's easier to just let people think I can't see at all."

"You have no pupils," Kuja said, still sounding amazed. Blank shrugged and didn't respond, resuming his ambling pace along the garden path. It really was a beautiful day; he could feel the warm sun on his face, and hear the birds singing all around them. It was also more than a little romantic, but Blank didn't point this out to Kuja.

Seeing him move, Kuja started walking after him and after a while asked, "What did you see of me?"

Blank paused, unsure if he should tell the truth. But Kuja was not the sort of person that you lied to. He knew now more than ever what dishonesty or disloyalty would do to Kuja's budding respect for humanity. So he settled on honesty.

"You're sad, mostly. That's what I felt from you, really. You're not really angry at yourself, or angry at anyone else. You're just sad that you made a wrong choice. You're sad that you couldn't see before what you're seeing now in the people around you. You're sad because people are giving you a second chance, even though you don't think you deserve it. And at the same time, somewhere under all that sadness, there's a tiny seed of joy at the world around you. You're starting to wake up and realize how much wonder exists in this world. And that's saving you."

Kuja had stopped in his tracks and was staring openly at Blank, his mouth open and his expression a mess of conflicting emotions. He looked scared, angry, astonished, uncertain, depressed, and more than anything else, awed.

"You saw all that?" he finally whispered.

Blank nodded. "I did. These eyes do come in handy sometimes." He paused. "Please don't think badly of me for seeing those things about you. I can't control what I see. And I don't think the worse of you for it, honestly I don't."

Kuja looked hesitant, but eventually stepped forward and continued along the path. He said nothing when Blank fell into step beside him.

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	9. Chapter 9

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 9

  
  
Zidane crouched in the bushes, his tail swishing back and forth nervously. He had been watching Blank and Kuja all day, and so far nothing seemed awry, but he wasn't willing to chance leaving them alone just yet.

They walked on and Zidane hurriedly moved alongside them behind the hedges, using all his thief training to be as quiet as possible. They were talking, but too softly for him to make out the words; their heads were tipped close together. He could see that his brother was smiling, which was honestly a little bit discomforting. Kuja rarely smiled, and almost never when he was with other people.

The two men stopped and sat on a bench, and Zidane settled into a crouch, finding a break in the branches through which to watch them.

He felt a twinge of anger as Blank stretched his arms and brought one to rest carelessly draped about Kuja's shoulders. It was the oldest trick in the book, and Zidane bristled at seeing it used on his brother. Kuja had no defense against that sort of thing; he'd never needed to learn it. Likely he hadn't even noticed what Blank had done.

'Son of a bitch must really be enjoying this,' he thought uncharitably. He reminded himself that of course Blank was his friend, and of course he wouldn't do anything downright mean-spirited, but still...

"What are you looking at?" came a voice at his elbow.

Zidane jumped, so startled that he nearly blew his cover. He looked down at the new arrival. "Vivi!" he hissed. "Don't sneak up on me like that! And keep your voice down!"

"Huh?" Vivi looked confused, but obligingly whispered. "Why? What are you doing?"

Zidane sat himself down on the dusty earth and crossed his legs, sighing. "I'm spying on Blank and my brother."

"Why?"

"Because I think that Blank might be trying to make a move on Kuja, and I'm trying to make sure he doesn't get hurt."

Vivi blinked. "Blank or Kuja?"

Zidane started to reply, then paused. It had never occurred to him that Blank might end up being hurt by Kuja. Maybe it should have. "I... er..." he floundered.

Vivi looked out towards the couple on the bench. "I still think it's really weird that Kuja's here. Wasn't he supposed to die?" he asked, changing the subject.

Zidane followed Vivi's gaze, staring at his brother. "He was. Garland said he would when his purpose was complete. Or at least he was supposed to stop working like the Black Mages, or something. I don't know why he didn't. I think it has something to do with him and me being stuck in the Iifa Tree for so long. It does something to your body. Kuja healed from his wounds a lot faster than he should have. But he also lost a lot of the magic he used to have."

"Oh." Vivi fell silent for a moment, then eventually asked, "So, is he like you now?"

Zidane shrugged. "Who knows?"

"I'm glad you brought Kuja back," said Vivi. "I think he deserves another chance."

Zidane nodded.

"He really has changed, hasn't he? It's like he's starting from scratch. Like he's learning all about the world again, like the Black Mages had to."

"He has changed," Zidane agreed. "He's not the Angel of Death anymore. I don't think he ever can be again."

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	10. Chapter 10

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 10

  
  
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**Note: I really have no idea where I'm going with this past chapter 13 or so. ; So if you have any suggestions, please feel completely free to make them. **  
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"So," said Blank, "Tell me about dragons."

This morning he had talked Kuja into walking down by the stables. He had done it for two reasons. The first was his knowledge that Kuja was great friends with the white dragon being kept there, and the second was a sneaking suspicion that someone had been following them in the garden yesterday. The dragon's enclosure, at least, provided fewer places for a stalker to hide.

Kuja shrugged and leaned forward on the fence, watching the enormous slumbering mound of scales that was the white dragon. "I have a soul connection to dragons. I was born with it. I don't know if Garland intended to create me with it or not; it has been known to happen to other mortals with normal births in the past, so it's possible it was a fluke." He spoke of his creation without emotion, as though he were discussing the weather. "Dragons are everything I ever wanted in my past life. Power, intelligence, beauty, grace. They have a supreme command of the world around them. They are the masters of their own fate."

"Well, that's what you are now, right?" Blank reasoned. "I mean, now that Garland's not ruling your life, now that you're not doing what he wanted you to, it makes you even more similar to the dragons, doesn't it?"

Kuja looked surprised, and considered this. "Perhaps it does," he said eventually.

At that moment, there was a snort from the pile of scales, and a long serpentine neck stretched out from the heap, its head pointing towards Kuja. Blank watched as his friend's face stretched into an enormous grin. Kuja had a great smile. A pity he didn't use it more often.

Kuja turned to him then, still smiling. "Zaruyon feels like some exercise, and wants to know if we'd like to fly with him," he said.

Blank was startled. "What, 'we'? As in both of us? I thought he hated me?"

Kuja was silent for a moment, and Blank realized that he must be speaking with the dragon. "He does not hate you. He was simply angry. And he says he is willing to give you another chance, since I seem to be so fond of you." Kuja frowned, as if he hadn't meant to say that. Perhaps he had been directly quoting the dragon and disagreed with his assessment, thought Blank.

At any rate, he might as well take advantage of an interesting offer. "Sure," he said. "I'd love to ride with you two."

Kuja's smile was back instantly, and he vaulted easily over the fence, running out towards where the dragon was standing and shaking out his wings. Blank followed a bit more sedately, grinning.

The dragon lowered his head for them to mount, and Kuja did so easily. Blank hesitated, but Kuja patted the space behind him on the dragon's neck, and eventually, with a little trepidation, Blank set himself astride the great beast.

"Hold on," Kuja murmured, and Blank had just enough time to clutch tightly at Kuja's waist before the dragon leapt up, flapping its enormous wings to get them airborne.

After a few mind-numbingly terrifying seconds, Blank began to relax and enjoy the feel of Kuja's body pressed tightly back against his. And the flight truly was exhilarating. Blank could tell what Kuja saw in these adventures, he thought. There was something about the wind whipping past you, stealing your very breath away, that made you feel excited and alive.

He wasn't sure how long it was that he rode with Kuja. When he felt the dragon beginning to descend, he felt that it was not long enough. It was the sort of experience that one didn't take lightly. It was the sort of thing that you remembered.

As the dragon flared his wings for a landing, Blank took a moment to affix the memory into his mind of the feel of Kuja's body. Just in case he never got to experience it again, he might as well savor it now.

The dragon settled onto the ground, but before it could lower its head for them to dismount, the great beast suddenly went quiet, as though listening for something. Without warning, it darted its head into a large grass clump just outside of the fence. There was a rustling noise, and the head came back up holding...

"Zidane?" asked Blank incredulously.

The dragon lowered its neck and Blank and Kuja slid off, walking briskly over to the still captive Zidane. Though the dragon held him only very delicately by the neck of his clothing, he still looked very unhappy about it. He was practically pouting as the dragon finally dropped him none to gently onto the ground and lumbered off.

"Brother?" asked Kuja. "What are you doing here?"

Zidane at least had the decency to look sheepish. "I was just... Uh... just checking the grass... for umm... t-turtles. Because... Cinna, you see, he wanted to make a soup. A turtle soup. Yeah. So I was looking for turtles. For Cinna."

Blank and Kuja stared at him.

Zidane got up and dusted himself off. "But there don't seem to be any here, so I'm just gonna go now, then. See ya." He trotted off back towards the castle, his low-slung tail giving away his embarrassment. Blank had long ago learned to read Zidane's moods from his tail.

"What on Gaia was he babbling about?" Kuja asked.

Blank had an inkling of what exactly Zidane's less-than-stellar excuse was covering up, but he didn't share it. "I have no idea," he said instead.

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	11. Chapter 11

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 11

  
  
"Zidane," said Blank, "we need to talk."

Zidane looked up guiltily from where he had been lying on his bed, reading a book. "What about?" he asked with forced nonchalance.

Blank frowned at him. "You know what about! You spying on me and Kuja! What the hell did you think you were doing?"

Zidane closed his book carefully and set it to the side, sitting up. He looked Blank straight in the eyes and said, "I was watching over my brother."

"You don't think he's safe with me?" Blank asked.

"Frankly, no," replied Zidane. When Blank bristled at the comment he elaborated. "Look, you know you're one of my best friends, but I'm not sure that I really trust you around Kuja. I know you're interested in him. And I don't think he's ready for that sort of relationship."

Blank seemed to go from annoyed to genuinely angry. "Don't you think he should get to decide that?"

"Of course not! He barely knows what to do with love when it's handed to him! If he were in a relationship with anyone, it would have to be someone who could take care of him, at least emotionally. And frankly Blank, you're a flake when it comes to that sort of thing. You're self-absorbed and predisposed for flings, and you're possibly the worst thing for him right now!"

There was a pause as both of them mentally backed off and took stock. Finally, Zidane spoke again. "Look. I think it's great that you and Kuja are friends. He needs friends. Friends are good for him. But I can't help thinking that you want more than that."

"He'll have to learn about this sort of thing sometime," said Blank. "Don't you think it would be best for him to learn firsthand? I'm not going to hurt him or anything."

"That's not all I'm worried about," Zidane muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" said Blank.

"I said, you'd better be damn careful with him. I don't want to hear that you've been harassing him. If you make a single unwanted move towards him, I swear-"

"Hey, despite what you think, Kuja can take care of himself," Blank argued.

"That doesn't mean I can't protect him," Zidane replied, still annoyed with his friend. He was about to say more, but a sudden tiny creak from the door told him that someone was listening in on their conversation. With quick, sure steps forward that startled Blank, he moved to the door and pulled it open in one smooth motion.

Kuja stood there, his expression surprised, and it seemed to take him a few seconds to register Zidane's presence. When he did he blushed vividly and took off down the hall.

Blank made to hurry after him, but before he could leave the room, Zidane caught his arm.

"I mean it," he said. "Be careful. I'm only trying to do what's best for Kuja and for you."

Blank frowned up at him, but then suddenly his expression softened. "You are, aren't you?" he said rhetorically, his voice quiet. He nodded. "I'll be careful. Now if you'll excuse me." He hurried off.

"I just don't want either of you to get hurt," Zidane muttered.

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	12. Chapter 12

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 12

  
  
When Blank finally found Kuja, he stopped short in amazement. Kuja's back was to him, and he saw, for the first time-

'A tail?! ...Of course. I mean, it makes sense. Zidane has a tail, so why shouldn't his brother? Obviously he has a tail. ...So why didn't I see it before?'

The silver streak that was Kuja's tail was not only plainly visible, it was lashing back and forth with what must be agitation. Years of reading Zidane's emotions from the movements of his tail would come in handy, Blank thought.

Kuja's back was to Blank, and he apparently hadn't heard him come in, so Blank approached with caution, clearing his throat.

Kuja whipped around, glaring, and Blank could still see his tail sweeping furiously back and forth behind his back. Kuja must have been really upset. As if Blank couldn't tell from the expression on his face.

"You okay?" he asked anyway.

Kuja continued to glare. "How dare you?! How dare both of you?! First my brother not trusting me, and then _you_! I should have known you were being duplicitous. I should have known-"

"Hey, wait. Hold on." Blank had reached Kuja and put a hand on each of his shoulders in a steadying motion. "Look, I wasn't trying to be deceitful. I promise. You _are_ referring to the fact that I didn't mention anything about any feelings for you, yes?"

Kuja nodded slightly, staring furiously at the ground.

"I was just trying to take things slowly. Look Kuja. Like it or not, your brother's right. You're not ready for that kind of relationship. So I didn't tell you because I didn't want to put pressure on you."

"So you don't think I can make my own decisions either?" Kuja asked harshly.

"It's not that, I-" but he didn't get any further, because Kuja had lunged forward and was kissing him almost angrily. For a moment Blank was too shocked to react, but he quickly regained control and wrenched Kuja away. The second they were apart, Kuja began ranting again.

"Don't you dare think you can tell me what I can and can't do! You do NOT control me! No one controls me anymore! I will do what I want! Don't think you can-"

Blank put a hand over Kuja's mouth to silence him, which earned him an even more venomous glare. He sighed. "Will you listen for a second?" he said.

Kuja scowled furiously, but Blank didn't take his hand off of Kuja's mouth until he finally nodded.

Blank released his mouth with another sigh, though he kept his hold on Kuja's arm with his other hand. "Now let me explain for a second, okay? I know you can make your own decisions. But decisions can be a burden. And I didn't want you to feel like you had some obligation towards me. Because I really do care about you, and I want to be your friend. And because I'm your friend, I wanted to save you a little grief, okay?"

Kuja still looked suspicious, but at least he hadn't started yelling again.

Slightly at a loss for words, reeling from the intensity of the argument, Blank backed off and sat heavily in an armchair. They were in a high-ceilinged library-slash-sitting room. Enormous windows allowed the pre-dusk sunlight to pour unhindered into the room, drenching all the surfaces in low golden twilight. Blank watched as Kuja began to pace the floor. His tail was still swishing back and forth, but not quite as violently as before.

"I don't know if I can trust you," Kuja said after a long pause.

"Well, I'm afraid that there's nothing I can really say to help you make that decision. It's down to faith, Kuja. Trust your instincts. If you think you can trust me, then you probably can."

Kuja stopped in his pacing and looked sideways at Blank. Instead of responding to his words, he said, "Did you like it when I kissed you?"

Blank was slightly startled at the straightforwardness of the question, but considered this. "I would have preferred that you not do it because you were trying to prove something. But yes, I liked it."

Kuja began pacing again without response. This time the silence dragged on for so long that Blank started to become uncomfortable. He searched for a topic to break the quiet. "So, how come I've never seen your tail before this?"

Kuja looked surprised and looked behind him, as though he hadn't realized that he had a tail. "I usually keep it tucked under my clothing," he said. "It makes me look slightly more normal, so that I... fit in."

To himself, Blank thought that Kuja would never fit in with normal people, in the same way that a diamond wouldn't fit in with a handful of gravel.

"Can I touch it?" Blank asked, and then wondered where the hell that question had come from.

Kuja also looked puzzled, frowning at him again, but he stopped pacing and approached Blank. Coming to a stop in front of him, he whipped his tail around him in one smooth motion so that the twitching tip was practically in Blank's lap.

Tentatively, Blank reached out and stroked Kuja's tail. The fur was incredibly soft, like that of a Persian cat. He had felt Zidane's tail before, and it had been spiky and slightly coarse. But Kuja's was soft and velvety and a joy to touch. Blank found himself mesmerized by the sensation as he continued to hypnotically pet the amazing fur.

In a slight daze he looked up to find that Kuja had closed his eyes and the look on his face had changed from suspicion to sheer bliss. Blank got the distinct impression that if Kuja could have been purring at that moment, he would have been.

Without really comprehending his own actions, he reached out with the hand not stroking Kuja's tail and grabbed Kuja's arm, tugging him down to sit on his lap. Kuja folded without much resistance, his eyes still closed. With Kuja's back now halfway towards him, he had much better access to the tail, which he continued to stroke smoothly.

Kuja's eyes opened slightly and he peered at Blank through heavy lids. Blank licked his lips. Kuja was decidedly sexy. The very tip of his tail was twitching back and forth with pleasure.

With his free hand, Blank reached up to touch a lock of Kuja's hair. It was surprising in its texture. "Your hair feels kind of like feathers. Like a cross between feathers and fur."

Kuja nodded, still looking slightly dazed. "I _was_ supposed to be an Angel of Death, after all."

Blank leaned his head forward so that his breath was warm against Kuja's ear. "An angel, huh?" he said softly. "That sounds about right."

After that it was only natural to kiss him.

Unlike their first kiss, this one was much slower, deeper, and holding an undercurrent of repressed passion. It felt very, _very_ good. Blank suddenly became aware of the situation; he was sitting in an armchair with a very docile, very sultry Kuja in his lap, and they were kissing. More than kissing: one of Blank's hands was tangled in Kuja's hair, the other had crept up his back under his shirt and was pressing him closer. Kuja's tail lay between them, twitching, resting on Blank's thigh.

Kuja moaned and Blank felt a shudder go through the other's body, down to the tip of his tail. He grinned against Kuja's mouth, but continued in his series of searing kisses. Kuja tasted good. So good.

The hand that Blank had previously been moving across Kuja's back was slipping downwards, fingertips darting under his waistband, when suddenly, the door opened.

The two of them stopped, staring at the intruder, blatantly caught in the act.

Amarant stood there in surprise. Obviously he had not expected to run into anyone in this room. When he recognized Kuja, however, his expression quickly changed to a scowl.

"Figures," the red-haired man muttered, a sneer in his voice.

Kuja stood in one fluid, elegant motion. He looked mysteriously unruffled, as though he hadn't just been making out with Blank. "Excuse me?" he said.

Amarant smiled an ugly smile. "It figures you'd be a pervert too. I can't for the life of me understand why Zidane saved someone as worthless as you. He should have just left you to die."

Blank felt anger rise inside him. What right did this jerk have to talk about Kuja like that?

"Who the hell do you think you-" he started, but Amarant cut him off.

"You stay out of this, pretty-boy. Blind fairy."

At this comment, Kuja's entire body seemed to stiffen. His tail went rigid for a moment, then began to sweep back and forth in long, slow arcs, like a cobra poising for a strike.

"You do not talk about my friend that way," he said softly. But there was something in his voice that Blank had not heard from him before. Something cold and hard, and with an edge like steel. Blank looked up at Kuja's face and felt his blood run cold. There was a look in Kuja's eyes that spoke intimately of the time not so long ago when the world had been something to crush in the palm of Kuja's hand. His eyes were those of a ruthless, cold-blooded killer.

The thought occurred to Blank that this was a man who could easily kill them all, and might do so, even now. Even Amarant seemed slightly taken-aback, though he covered it well. "I think I'll talk about him however I want, thanks," he spat.

Kuja's eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward. Blank could see points of blue light forming at the tips of his fingers, and in an instant realized what he was about to do. He leapt out of his chair and took one of Kuja's wrists in each of his hands, halting his progress. Kuja looked startled, and the blue lights faded.

Blank turned his head back to look at Amarant and saw by the look on his face that he also had gathered what Kuja was about to do. "I think you'd better leave," said Blank.

Amarant didn't look too happy about the order, but did so, slamming the door a little too forcefully behind him. When he had left, Blank steered Kuja to the armchair, where the white-haired man sat heavily. Kuja's entire body was shaking.

Blank knelt in front of Kuja and took Kuja's hands between his own, holding them comfortingly. When Kuja's shaking did not lessen, he risked extending one hand to stroke his tail softly. This seemed to calm him slightly, and the shivering began to taper off.

Blank leaned down to plant a kiss on the tip of Kuja's still shuddering tail. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Kuja nodded. "I- He said..."

Blank realized suddenly that because the man was in Zidane's little group, Kuja must have counted Amarant as a friend. He hadn't anticipated that Amarant might hate him, and certainly not with so much venom. Such a thing must have come as a shock, perhaps even a betrayal.

One of Kuja's hands flew to his face and Blank looked up at the bowed head and realized that Kuja was crying. It was a disturbing sight.

"Kuja..." Blank was at a loss for how to comfort him.

"I-I almost lost control." Kuja's voice was soft and shuddered with his tears. Blank felt his heart constrict at his friend's sadness. "I couldn't s-stop. I was going to... going to..." he trailed off, but Blank understood.

"It's okay," he said. He continued to stroke Kuja's tail, since he seemed to find it soothing. "You didn't," Blank reminded him. "You didn't lose control."

"Because you stopped me!" said Kuja, his voice cracking. "If you hadn't, I might have done something... I thought I didn't have that in me anymore! I thought it was gone for good."

Blank stood and kissed Kuja softly on the top of his head. Then he took his friend's hands and pulled him to his feet. "Come on," he said softly. "You should take a rest. It's starting to get late; the sun's gone down now. Sleep will do you good."

Kuja nodded, not looking at him, and sniffled slightly. And not for the first time, Blank found himself thinking how childlike and innocent he seemed. He led Kuja wordlessly towards the room Kuja shared with his brother.

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	13. Chapter 13

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 13

  
  
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**Note: I have a plot for you, coming up. -- You guys are lucky; I wasn't really going to have one originally. This was going to be a pure fluff romance. But now I do. And it even required all this set up, too, so there's nothing wasted. Er, well, not _too_ much, anyway.**  
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Kuja had gone to bed early the previous night, and was sound asleep when Zidane had gotten back to the room. The next morning he had woken up before Zidane and spent the entire day riding that dragon. Zidane had talked to Blank, but it seemed that not even he had been able to talk to Kuja since late the previous afternoon. He did, however, relate a rather disturbing story of a confrontation between Kuja and Amarant that had taken place the previous day.

So all day, Zidane had waited for Kuja to come down from the clouds. When it became obvious that he intended to stay there all day, he had left, but he had gone back to their room very early, determined to catch Kuja before he went to sleep.

When Kuja finally entered the bedroom, he was quiet and withdrawn. Zidane wondered if he had spent the entire day sulking. Or perhaps thinking, which might have been worse.

Zidane cleared his throat to get Kuja's attention, then said, "So, I heard you had a fight with Amarant yesterday."

"I'd rather not talk about it," said Kuja softly.

Zidane frowned, trying to bolster his courage. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist. Blank told me what happened, but I'd like to hear your side of it too."

Kuja sat on the edge of his bed and stared at his hands, which were neatly folded in his lap. "He insulted Blank. I got upset and lost control. If Blank hadn't stopped me, I might have killed Amarant. I still have enough magic left to do something like that." The words were said calmly, but his voice sounded very tired, as though he had thought about this far too long. Zidane swore mentally.

"I'll talk to him," he assured Kuja.

Kuja frowned at his hands. "It bothers me that you should have to do that. That you should have to take care of me like I'm some child. It disturbs me that it's necessary."

Zidane sighed and came to sit next to him on the bed. "You just need a little more time to get used to this world. The rest of us have had our whole lives. It hasn't even been a month yet since we got back to Alexandria. Give it time."

Kuja was silent, so Zidane continued. "I'm sorry I made that comment yesterday. About not trusting you. I do trust you, really. It's just, well, you're my big brother. I want to take care of you. Will you forgive me?"

It took Kuja a long time to respond. "I will," he said finally, "on one condition."

"Yeah?"

"If I want to be with Blank, you will make no fuss about it. You will let me make my own mistakes with him, if mistakes they turn out to be."

Zidane smiled lop-sidedly. "I'll do you one better. I'll give you my blessing. As long as you're careful around him, I promise to support you. And it's not like I have anything against Blank. I've just seen him go through women _and_ men like tissues. He's not really very good at commitment. But who knows, maybe he's changed."

"I hope so," said Kuja, "because I kissed him yesterday."

"What?!" said Zidane. Blank had failed to mention _that_ little detail. He looked sideways over at Kuja to find that his brother was blushing with the memory. 'Oh dear. He must have it bad,' he thought.

Kuja nodded, still not looking at Zidane. "He was stroking my tail, and, well, it's so sensitive, and it felt so _nice_, and I just kind of..."

Kuja trailed off, but Zidane understood. More than once, Garnet had been able to reduce him to jelly simply by petting his tail. It was quite the weakness. He smiled and put an arm around Kuja's shoulders. "I know what you mean," he said.

Kuja was still blushing deeply. "I'm not entirely sure how it happened," he said. "He was just stroking my tail, and then I was on his lap, and then we were kissing, and then suddenly Amarant-" His expression soured and the blush vanished. "Amarant walked in. He saw us. He called me a pervert, and Blank too. That's when I got angry."

"Ah." Now Zidane was beginning to understand. "Well, don't be too hard on yourself. There's no making rational decisions in the state you were in. I've been known to snap at people myself, if they interrupt someone petting my tail. You just fell back into your anger so much because it's familiar to you."

He judged by Kuja's expression that his brother hadn't considered that. He looked a bit relieved as well, so Zidane counted it a success.

"You should probably go to bed," he said, "and then tomorrow you can stop hiding from everyone."

Kuja looked sheepish. "I just needed to think," he mumbled. Zidane grinned.

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	14. Chapter 14

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 14

  
  
Blank stared at Kuja and tried his very hardest not to drool. 

Kuja had taken to shedding his usual many layers of clothing in favor of shorts and a rather small T-shirt, both in a dull forest green. His tail, instead of being hidden by his clothes, was instead curled invitingly around his waist like a soft, silver belt. Blank was nearly certain that Kuja was doing this to tease him, but he had just enough doubt not to bring it up. He was afraid that if he mentioned it, and Kuja had _not_ been doing it intentionally, then Kuja would stop dressing like this. And it did look _so_ good on him...

Blank cleared his throat and sidled up to Kuja, smiling and trying to act normal. 'Bad Blank,' he thought to himself. 'Don't stare at his hips. Or his ass. Or his tail. Or- dammit!'

"Hey," he said. His voice squeaked slightly, and he hurriedly cleared his throat. "Hey," he tried again. Much better.

Kuja smiled at him, and the very tip of his tail twitched. "Hi," he said.

Blank hesitated for a moment, then slipped his customary arm around Kuja's shoulders. "You look really nice today," he hazarded.

Kuja looked down at himself looking slightly surprised, but when he looked back up, Blank caught a small mischievous glint in his eyes. "Why thank you," he said. "I thought maybe I'd try a new look."

Blank chuckled. "I'll bet Zidane flipped when he saw your outfit."

Kuja smiled fondly, the glint dancing in his eyes. "There was a look on his face that I'll not forget in a hurry."

A sudden thought occurred to Blank. "You're not doing this to get even with your brother, are you?" he asked.

Kuja arched a delicate eyebrow. "Of course not. I'm not trying to get a rise out of _him_."

Blank gulped.

It was a beautiful day and so, without really discussing it much, the two men moved to sit on one of the ornate benches lining the garden path. The heavy perfume of expertly cared-for flowerbeds thickened the air, and the sunlight was warm and pleasant on their faces.

Blank kept his arm around Kuja's shoulders, and when Kuja not only did not resist, but actually leaned into the contact, he finally felt safe enough to broach the touchy subject.

"You're _trying_ to tease me, aren't you?" he said.

Kuja snuggled a little closer to him. "And if I am?"

Blank grinned, tightening his arm about Kuja's shoulders. "Then you have my attention, certainly."

Kuja smiled and said nothing.

"Won't Zidane be angry, though?" Blank asked.

Kuja shook his head. "I cleared things with him. We talked, and it's okay now. I am free to make my own choices, as it should be."

"And you're choosing me?"

Kuja did not reply right away, and seemed to get momentarily lost in thought, as Blank was learning he was wont to do. "I have decided to give this a try," he said eventually, and with the deliberateness of a conclusion positively arrived at.

"Good enough," said Blank, and turned his head to kiss the top of Kuja's hair as the other man laid his head on Blank's shoulder.

They sat like that for a few minutes in comfortable silence, when suddenly Kuja's entire body went rigid. Blank heard him try to speak, choke, and manage only, "Who...?"

That was when he saw it. From underneath one of the bushes on the opposite side of the path, two beady gold eyes glared at them. Slowly, their owner crept out from under the shrub, revealing the body of an enormous white lizard. It was more compact than a normal lizard, with a heavy-set body and a head that was almost more equine than reptilian. It moved forward slowly, with the strange slithering gate of a large reptile, flicking its forked tongue in and out. Blank looked over at Kuja, who seemed mesmerized by the sight of it.

He was not sure what exactly made him do it. Perhaps it was some slight shift in the way the lizard set its weight. Or maybe his precognition somehow slipped beyond the confining power of his blindfold. But suddenly he was compelled to draw his knife and throw himself bodily over Kuja. Seconds later, the lizard struck.

Blank cried out in agony as he felt hot, sharp fangs sink into his upper arm (thankfully the arm not holding his weapon) and stick there fast. He thrust out blindly with his knife, but it glanced off the pale, shining scales on the beast's side. Desperately, he thrust again, this time coming nearer to the lizard's belly. But the beast's enormous muscled tail thrashed to the side, knocking his arm away at the crucial moment. The fangs sunk deeper as the lizard's jaw spasmed and bit down, and it was all Blank could do not to pass out from the sheer pain of it.

Taking a moment to try to aim, Blank thrust again with the knife, and this time it hit. He felt the blade slide into the soft flesh of the creature's belly with no more difficulty than it would have had cutting into warm butter. Warm, slippery liquid gushed from the knife wound over his hand, and he struggled to keep his grip on the hilt, twisting it as best he could.

The beast roared, a deep, guttural sound in its throat, but did not relinquish Blank's arm. Blank's grip on the knife was becoming precarious, and he knew he could never hold onto it long enough to make another thrust.

Just then he saw Kuja's hand out of the corner of his eye, reaching around Blank's waist and grabbing hold of the lizard's forearm. As Blank watched, Kuja's palm quickly began to glow a light blue. Knowing what was coming, he quickly let go of the knife, but there was no way to detach himself where the creature's teeth were still sunk into his arm. He braced himself as best he could.

The huge electric shock that passed through the lizard caused its entire body to jerk and spasm. Blank clenched his teeth as some of the electricity arced to his own body, but he knew it was nothing compared to the full brunt of the assault that the monster was receiving. When the attack ended, the teeth slid out of Blank's arm, and the creature fell to the ground, twitching. After a few whole body convulsions, it finally lay still.

Blank felt his blood dripping down from the wound in his arm, and a dull heat started to spread through his body from the point of the bite. He suddenly felt light-headed, and the world began to swim in front of his eyes. He put the hand of his good arm to his forehead, but then removed it when he realized that he was smearing the creature's blood all over his face.

His own breathing was somehow very loud in Blank's ears. Sweat trickled down from his forehead, mingling with the blood of the beast and dripping into his eyes, down his nose, running down his cheeks. The world continued to swim, and then suddenly lurched sideways. Blank had the vague, disorienting feeling of falling, and then a jarring sensation as his body hit the uncomfortable packed earth of the path.

As he stared up towards the sky, Kuja's familiar face swam into view above him. Kuja was so lovely, he thought. But he looked so very worried, from what Blank could make out of his expression. Blank tried to frown. Kuja shouldn't be worried.

He tried to tell him that, but managed only in speaking his name. "Kuja..."

And then the world went black.

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	15. Chapter 15

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 15

  
  
"Zidane! ZIDANE! BROTHER!" 

Zidane leapt to his feet in the middle of a conversation with Garnet and was halfway out the door before he even registered his own actions. Kuja's shouts were frantic, and he set off through the gardens at a dead run, cursing himself internally.

'Dammit! DAMN! I _knew_ I shouldn't have left those two alone. Oh God, please let Kuja be okay.'

He heard the footsteps of Garnet running behind him, but did not bother to slow. When he finally rounded a corner and came in view of his brother, he stopped in shock.

Kuja knelt, crouched over the bloody inert form of Blank, looking as upset as Zidane had ever seen him. Next to them lay the huge, slightly charred corpse of some enormous lizard. Zidane shook his head in disbelief. The thing was easily six feet long, and probably weighed about a ton. But it was not the most important concern. He rushed to Blank's side and knelt down across from Kuja.

"What happened?" he demanded. The flesh of Blank's upper arm was torn up and full of deep punctures, and was bleeding profusely. He was still breathing, but it was heavy and labored, with a strange, dry, rattling sound.

"Snow drake," Kuja explained, the words coming out in a panicked rush. "There was a s-snow drake. Tried to attack me. Blank, he- he jumped in front of it. Bit him. In the arm. Bit his arm. Oh God. The poison..."

Zidane looked over at Garnet, who had now reached them and was kneeling next to him, checking on Blank's wound. "It's a deep bite," she said, her calm voice betrayed by her ashen complexion. "That's a snow drake." She paused, and her voice when she spoke again was softer, and full of pity. "There's no cure for snow drake poison."

Zidane bit back a strangled moan, and heard Kuja do the same. "He'll... he'll die?" Zidane asked softly.

Garnet closed her eyes and said nothing, which was answer enough. This time, Zidane couldn't choke back a cry of despair. Grief threatened to overwhelm him. His mind was in shock. How could this have happened? And so suddenly? He hadn't been there. He hadn't- Zidane felt tears prick at his eyelids.

"No," said Kuja.

Zidane winced and reached over to put his hand on Kuja's shoulder. "I know that this will be hard for you to deal with, Kuja," he said, "but you must-"

"No," said Kuja again, interrupting. "I mean, you're wrong. Snow drake poison may be one of the deadliest poisons in the world, but there _is_ a cure for it. It's known to dragons, and to drakes, but to almost no others."

"What is it?" Zidane demanded.

Kuja shook his head, still staring at the huge wound on Blank's arm. "I can't say. But it's nothing that you would have around here. I'd have to journey to get it. Days, it would take. I can't. Blank doesn't have that long. He wouldn't survive long enough for me to get back with the antidote."

"How long do you need?" Garnet asked, her voice tight and stiff.

Kuja looked up at her sharply. "Three or four days, most likely. Provided I can even get it."

She nodded swiftly. "I think, using my healing abilities, I could stave off the poison for that long. Maybe even longer if Eiko helps out. How will you need to travel?"

"I'll have to fly," said Kuja. "It's the only way."

"You can take an airship," said Zidane immediately.

But Garnet shook her head. "All the really fast ships are out. We don't have anything that could get him there quick enough."

"I'll ride Zaruyon," said Kuja. "He'll take me if I ask him. I know he will."

"I'll go with you," Zidane said quickly. But Kuja shook his head vehemently.

"You mustn't! I'll never be able to get the antidote if the drakes find out that I've told a non dragon-bond about it. I'll have to go alone. Besides," and here suddenly a look of extreme guilt that Zidane had seen on his brother only in the most desperate of times overtook Kuja's face. "It's my fault," he whispered. "It's my fault that this happened."

Zidane shook his head. "We'll deal with that when he's better. Tell me what supplies you need. I'll get them while you go talk to your dragon. Dagger, you stay here and take care of Blank. I'll send Eiko out, and someone to help you carry him back into the castle."

Kuja nodded, looking horribly pale. "I'll need warm clothes and a very heavy warm coat. Fur-lined, if you can find one. And food stores for about five days. And something to start a fire with." He looked imploringly at Zidane. "You've done this more than I have. You must know what sort of things to bring. It's an arctic climate. Please, pack what you think I'll need."

Zidane nodded and sprinted back towards the castle, his mind reeling at how the course of an entire life could change so very quickly.

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	16. Chapter 16

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 16

  
  
Kuja clutched his fur cloak tightly about him, and tried to lay down closer to Zaruyon's neck. But despite the heat from the body of the great beast beneath him, the biting chill wind still managed to sneak in and freeze him down to his bones.

He tried not to concentrate on the cold, but the only other thing that came to mind was equally unappetizing. The snow drake's words echoed inside his skull, giving him a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

_Kuja. Traitor. How dare you show your face now? You sent thousands of white dragons to their death and for what?! So you could ally with _mortals_?! Hah! You're a disgrace to all draconian kind. You deserve to die for your betrayal. Traitor!_

In his mind he saw again the blur of shining white as the drake leaped at him, saw the teeth so vividly that he could make out the individual drops of saliva hanging from each fang. And then Blank, dear, courageous Blank, had thrown himself between them. Kuja knew that he deserved to be the one lying there, breathing his last, not Blank. Blank should have lived.

Kuja bowed his head, trying to keep tears at bay - surely they would freeze at this temperature. Blank was lying back at the castle, dying, because of him. Zidane had been right all along. He should never have gotten involved with Blank. Not because Kuja would have been hurt, but because he was a danger to those who got close to him. Nothing around him survived for long. He was the Angel of Death, after all.

Kuja groaned, feeling the agony of remembrance well up inside him, threatening to overwhelm him. Thankfully, Zaruyon startled him out of it.

_I'm going to land. We're about as close as I can get; any higher and I wouldn't be able to fly in the storms._

Zaruyon began to set down, and Kuja stared up at the enormous mountain in front of them. This was one of the highest peaks in all of Gaia, and if he could make it to the snow drake colony near the top... He shook his head. He'd worry about dealing with the snow drakes when he got there. Until then, there was the small matter of the mountain to climb, and the blizzard raging from here skyward, probably all the way up to the peak.

"You can wait for me here," he told Zaruyon. "I'll come back down once I get the antidote."

_I'm coming with you,_ said Zaruyon.

Kuja was surprised. "But... are you sure? I mean, your body heat..." He eyed his friend, knowing how quickly such a large frame would lose heat. Could he possibly survive in the cold of the mountains?

_I'll be okay,_ Zaruyon assured him. _This way, when you get the antidote, we can leave right away. You won't have to come back down. Provided I can find a spot clear enough to take off from, of course._

"All right," said Kuja. "If you say so. Come on, then." He didn't say it, but in truth he was glad to have the company. He hadn't been relishing being alone with his thoughts on such a difficult journey. He started up the mountain.

It was very slow going. The mountainside was steep, and would have been difficult to climb even in the best weather. As it was, there were times when Kuja felt that getting to the top would be impossible. He became very grateful for Zaruyon, who could easily lift him past some of the short, near-vertical stretches. As long as the dragon could find a few good footholds, each step would take him a great deal farther up the rock face. And thus he could easily pick up Kuja and deposit him several meters higher, saving him from some of the more precarious sections.

In almost no time, Kuja was frozen to the bone. His gloves were thin, so as to provide better grip on the mountain, but this lack of insulation quickly chilled his fingers. More than once he wondered what on Gaia he was doing. But then he would remember Blank, would picture him lying still in that bed. He couldn't face the idea that Blank would die because of him. And so he would press on.

Gradually, inch by inch and foot by foot, he made his way up the mountain.

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	17. Chapter 17

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 17

  
  
Zidane closed the door behind him as quietly as possible and stood silently for a moment, watching Garnet. She was sitting on one of two chairs by Blank's bedside, her hand resting on his arm. She looked horrible; dark circles under her eyes showed just how little she had been sleeping, and her hair and clothing were rumpled and unkempt. Looking at her, it was obvious that she had scarcely left Blank's side since he had fallen. She probably wouldn't even have eaten if he hadn't been bringing her food and practically feeding it to her, Zidane thought. He closed his eyes. It was a difficult time for all of them. 

With light footfalls, he crept forward and took the seat next to Garnet. She had not heard him enter, and started when he sat down.

"Oh, it's you Zidane. You startled me." Her voice was hoarse and tired, and she barely spoke above a whisper.

"How is he?" Zidane asked.

"Not good," she replied honestly. "The poison constricts the lungs, and he's already begun to have difficulty breathing. Eiko and I have been taking shifts healing him, but the poison is still spreading. Kuja better get back with that medicine soon."

Zidane looked pityingly at Blank's prone form, reaching out and brushing some hair off of his friend's damp forehead. Garnet had removed the belt and patch from his eyes, and replaced it with a cool wet cloth. His body was trying to fight the poison, and had given him a high fever. Zidane felt a knot twist in his stomach. It killed him to see Blank lying here like this, on the edge of death, and knowing that there was nothing he could do.

"How much longer?" he asked.

"Two days, if we're lucky," said Garnet. "Blank has a fighting spirit; his body's not giving in easily. If not for that, we might have lost him already."

Zidane nodded, and was about to speak again when suddenly Blank shot bolt upright in his bed. The cloth fell off his eyes, revealing the blank, staring gold irises. His breathing was heavy, and Zidane heard again the strange rattling sound in his lungs.

"Kuja?" Blank gasped out.

Once Zidane came out of his startlement, he realized that Blank was unaware of his surroundings. Possibly the poison in his system was making him hallucinate, or the fever was. He was certainly not conscious.

He put his hands on Blank's shoulders and gently pushed him back down against the pillows. "Kuja's gone to get you some medicine. Don't worry. He'll be back soon."

Blank lay still enough, but his eyes remained eerily fixed open, a wild madness in them. Zidane winced slightly and lay his hands over Blank's eyes, knowing how it pained his friend when they were uncovered. Garnet had retrieved the cloth and was currently dipping it in a bowl of water by her side, wringing it out and holding it ready to re-administer.

Zidane used his other hand to stroke back the hair that had fallen into Blank's face during his sudden violent upheaval, and then took the cloth from Garnet. Carefully he removed his hand and, making sure that Blank's eyes were closed, replaced the cloth.

He heard Garnet take a deep, shuddering breath next to him. "That's the third time he's done that," she said, "and it still scares me. His eyes are so... well, blank."

Zidane nodded. "It's been that way since he was a child. As far as we know, there's no way to fix it. And it's come in handy sometimes, too. But it is kind of painful for him if he doesn't keep them covered."

"Poor Blank," Garnet said softly.

Zidane put an arm around her shoulders. "What about you?" he said. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm tired," she admitted. "Eiko can't really help as much as I thought she would; she just doesn't have the endurance. And staying here so long, just watching him lie there like this..." she trailed off, looking depressed.

Zidane leaned over and pressed his lips softly to her hair. "It will be all right," he said. "You'll see. Is there anything I can do?" He asked the question even though he had already been told that there was nothing.

Garnet looked over at him, and in her eyes he saw fear, sadness, and resignation. "Pray," she said quietly.

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	18. Chapter 18

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 18

  
  
The wind blew fiercely in the cold of the night but, thankfully, the snow was only intermittent, instead of the blizzards they had endured earlier. 

Zaruyon had curled himself into a tight circle, and Kuja huddled in the center, pressed against the flesh of the dragon's stomach, warming himself at their meager campfire. Zaruyon's massive bulk shielded Kuja from the worst of the wind, and the fire was at least enough to thaw the dragonbond's freezing limbs.

"Oh, Zaruyon," he murmured, pulling his blankets tighter around himself and laying his face against Zaruyon's scales, "you put up with so much from me. Flying me in, helping me climb, carrying the supplies, keeping me warm like this. I don't deserve this kind of loyalty from anyone, let alone a dragon."

The voice in his mind chuckled warmly. _I am a large creature, Kuja. Why should I not use my bulk to shield you from the wind? It's there anyway. Why should I not carry you up stretches of rock that are too steep for you but easily passable for me? What trouble is it to carry a few packs when I hardly even notice the weight, especially when they would be such a burden to you? No, you are not asking anything of me that I am not perfectly willing to give._

Kuja smiled and closed his eyes. "I'm not sure what I ever did to end up with friendship of someone like you, Zaruyon, but I will forever be thankful for it."

Zaruyon's tail tip was draped across his snout, and to all appearances, the dragon was asleep. But though the large eyes were closed, he was very much alert. Kuja was infinitely glad of someone to talk to; Zaruyon had offered him more assistance on this trip than he had ever hoped for, and a good thing too. The climb was taking a lot longer than he had anticipated. Every second that ticked by, he knew that Blank's condition back at the castle was growing worse and worse. He prayed silently that he would be able to retrieve the antidote, and that he could make it back in time.

He had nearly dozed off when Zaruyon spoke to him again.

_Kuja, why are you doing so much for this Gaian?_

"Hm? Oh." Kuja pulled the blanket across his face as a particularly fierce gust of wind made it around Zaruyon and whirled the snow up against them. He waited for it to subside before replying. "It's my fault he's this hurt. I have to help him."

_Is that the only reason?_ Zaruyon asked.

Kuja's first instinct was to bristle at the insinuation, but he clamped down an iron control on his emotions and tried very hard to think about it, to analyze what he felt instead of simply succumbing to it. "I suppose..." He swallowed nervously. "Blank means a lot to me. He's the first real friend I've ever had, if you don't count my brother. He cares about me for myself, not for my power, or my prestige, or my looks, or anything, just... me."

_Are you in love with him?_ Zaruyon asked bluntly.

For a long time Kuja didn't answer. "Would it be so bad if I was?" he said eventually, his voice very soft.

Zaruyon's tone was warm when he replied. _No. Not at all. I am glad for you that you have found someone to care about. I simply wished to know. And I had wondered whether you had clarified it in your own mind yet. For I have seen the evidence of your love for him. I do not wish for you to be afraid of it._

"That's kind of you, Zaruyon," Kuja said.

Zaruyon did not reply, and Kuja began once again to drift off. In the back of his mind, he processed Zaruyon's words. Was he truly in love with Blank? The thought made him want to laugh at himself. Who was he to know what love was? How could he possibly have anything to compare it to? He simply knew that he felt a connection to Blank that was stronger than anything he had ever felt. And he didn't want that connection to end. Not by death certainly, but even after Blank had been saved-

'If he can be saved.'

-he didn't want them to be separated. The very thought made him feel cold inside. He wanted to be with Blank. He wanted to stay with him, and talk to him, and feel the way he stroked his tail, and the sweet pleasure of his kisses.

'I do love him,' Kuja thought as the darkness of unconsciousness began to creep about him. 'I love him, and I want to be with him. Forever.'

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	19. Chapter 19

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 19

  
  
Kuja woke with a start the next morning, as a low, menacing hiss disturbed his sleep. The sound was all around their makeshift camp; it was impossible to tell which direction it was coming from, or whether there were one or more entities making the noise. Kuja's entire body tensed, and he struggled to his feet, bracing himself in a fighting position. 

"Do you hear that Zaruyon?" he asked softly.

The great dragon had already lumbered to his feet and stood ready, his tail thrashing back and forth menacingly. _I hear it,_ he confirmed. _You know what it is, don't you?_

"Snow drake," Kuja whispered.

_Yes._

Kuja looked around wildly, trying to predict where it would attack from. But the mountain had strange acoustics. One never knew if a sound would be muffled or echoed, and Kuja couldn't for the life of him pinpoint the source of the noise.

"Come out!" he called. "We mean you no harm! We simply wish an audience with the Queen."

_Traitor,_ came the voice in his mind, layered with distaste. _You are not fit to see our Queen. You are not fit to be food for our kind! You are pathetic. Worthless. Betrayer._

"I wish to meet with your Queen," Kuja repeated. "Please-"

But that was as far as he got before the drake attacked.

Its body blended so completely with the snow that he didn't see it until the glittering golden eyes were a foot away from him, and by then it was far too late. Kuja gasped as he felt the sharp, piercing teeth of the drake sink into the soft flesh between his neck and shoulder. From the instant he felt the pain, Kuja knew that a wound of this magnitude would be fatal.

Something whizzed past Kuja's ear and suddenly the drake was gone. Zaruyon's lashing tail had hit it dead on, sending it sprawling a good distance away. From this distance, Kuja could just barely make out that it was male. Kuja stared at the inert body for a moment before slowly folding in on himself and collapsing gently onto the snow.

_Kuja!_ came Zaruyon's anguished cry.

"Is he dead?" Kuja asked, finding it slightly difficult to speak past the pain.

_If he isn't, I'll finish him._ Zaruyon's tone was murderous.

"Zaruyon-" but he couldn't manage anything else. The pain was so dazzlingly intense that he couldn't seem to squeeze words past it. But what was worse was the mental anguish.

'I failed. I failed, and now Blank will die, and I will die as well. I will die alone, on a forsaken mountain, without even my brother...' Kuja could have wailed if he had had the strength.

"Zaruyon," he said, trying again to speak, forcing each and every word past the pain with gritted teeth, "please... tell... brother... sorry."

_You will not die, Kuja,_ said Zaruyon softly.

"...Poison," Kuja managed. Already he could feel the effects of the venom, like iron bands around his lungs, squeezing the air out of him. His wound was much closer to the heart and lungs than Blank's had been. His death would be quicker.

_No. I will not let you die._ Zaruyon's voice had become strangely calm and devoid of emotion. _You will live, because I will give you my immunity to the poison._

Kuja tried to concentrate on what Zaruyon was saying, but the pain was making his mind hazy. How on Gaia could he get Zaruyon's immunity?

Speech finally becoming an impossibility, he switched to the much easier telepathy. _Impossible,_ he thought. _You can't give me your immunity. You'd have to give up your entire life force to me, and that would kill..._

He trailed off and his eyes widened as it dawned on him exactly what Zaruyon was planning to do.

"No!" he choked out, forgetting in his panic to use mind speech. "No, please! Za...yon! No!"

_It is the only way, Kuja._

"No!" Now, in addition to the pain, Kuja welt grief well up to impede his speech. "What about... mountain...? How... down?"

_You will not be able to get down if you are dead, Kuja. This is what I want. I will give you my life force, and with it, my immunity to the venom. If you can live by my sacrifice, then my life will have been worthwhile._

"_No! Zaruyon!_"

_Remember Kuja, you are a dragonbond. Dragonbonds are rare, but when they occur in a mortal, then we are bound to look to that mortal as our leader. You are our Lord, Kuja. We must serve you. It is our duty. Remember that. We look to you. You must never forget your position._

Kuja felt cold with dread. He wanted to beg Zaruyon, plead with him not to go, not to leave him alone on this mountain. But in the face of Zaruyon's steadfast determination, words would not come. Instead there was only pain, and anguish, and despair.

_Goodbye, Kuja,_ said Zaruyon. _It was an honor to serve you._

And then the great dragon closed his eyes, slumped to the ground, and was still.

A sound came from Kuja that started as a moan, and grew to a wail as he felt Zaruyon's strength flow into him. His wound knitted shut as the dragon's life force flowed into his veins, rejuvenating his cells, bringing with it the immunity that neutralized the poison, letting him breathe once again and clearing his mind of the haze that had begun to surround it.

And as his energy came back, all he could do was scream. Zaruyon's body lay inert in front of him. Kuja struggled to his feet, tears streaming down his face, and stumbled forward, towards the corpse of his friend. As he lay his hands on the scales, he felt that they were cold. Unlike natural death, this sacrifice had completely removed the life from him. He would not rise again.

Kuja closed his eyes. "You will not have died in vain, friend," he said through clenched teeth. Summoning a small bit of the magic that was now brimming within him, he sent a spark of arcane fire into the dragon's flesh, setting the inert form ablaze in a magnificent funeral pyre.

He stepped back, and watched, his eyes brimming with tears, as Zaruyon's body was consumed by the fire.

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Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.  
or  
Oh God, that was hideous. Let me complain to the author. 


	20. Chapter 20

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 20

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**Yes, I know. You all hate me after that last chapter. I'm sorry, but it had to be done. It was a necessary death. I know you liked him; I liked him too! But sometimes, we must sacrifice what we love for the sake of plot. ::bows::**

**------------------------------**

Zidane stared at Eiko, her little chest rising and falling slowly as she slept. He suddenly felt incredibly tired. He didn't want to wake her; he knew she was tired, and that her body really needed another five hours or so of sleep at least. But Garnet was practically passing out in her chair, and couldn't hold out any longer. She needed to be relieved.

Regretfully, he reached out a hand and shook Eiko gently. "Hey. Hey, Eiko. Come on. It's time to get up."

Her eyes opened sleepily, and Zidane noticed by contrast how dark the deep circles under her eyes were. This really wasn't healthy for her or for Garnet. Zidane cursed inwardly that any of this was necessary. They weren't even sure if Kuja would make it back. It was possible that all of this was entirely for nothing. They were killing themselves on little more than a hope. It was-

Zidane forced himself to halt such thoughts and turned his attention back to Eiko. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I know you're tired. But Garnet's nearly unconscious. She needs you to come."

Eiko nodded and rolled rather briskly out of bed. Zidane could tell that she was doing her best to look energetic. She didn't want to appear weak before him. Zidane felt a pang in his heart at the loyalty of such friends. He wondered to himself what he had done to deserve so much. Whatever it was, he was glad for it. He stood, his own muscles protesting, and followed her wordlessly into the hall.

'I should be sleeping too,' he thought. He'd had barely three hours of sleep in as many days, and it was really taking its toll on his body. But he wanted to stay up with Garnet, and when she was sleeping, he was still reluctant to leave Blank's side. He shook his head, trying to bring his weary mind back into focus.

'Just a few more days and then, one way or another, we'll all be able to rest.' The thought, with all its implications, chilled him.

As he walked down the hallway, he caught site of Amarant leaning in a doorway and switched directions to meet him. Amarant watched his approach in that bland, un-emotional way that he had. He didn't seem surprised to see Zidane.

"We need to talk," Zidane told him sternly.

Amarant shrugged and stepped back into his room, sitting on the edge of the bed. Zidane followed him in and perched on one of the room's two stools. Customary to Amarant's nature, in all the time the red-haired man had been there, he had failed to put any personality into the room. It was spartan, with only the bare necessities of furnishings. It looked just as bleak and impersonal as any of the unused guest rooms in the palace. But for a small amount of clothing in the closet, one would have thought it unoccupied.

They stared at each other for a long time. Amarant was silent, waiting for Zidane to start the conversation. So he did.

"You were very rude to my brother, and to Blank," he said.

Amarant snorted. "Your brother is a menace. I don't know why you spared him. Don't you remember that he tried to kill us all? And he nearly lost it again the other day. He's still capable of murder; don't fool yourself on that point."

"You provoked him the other day," Zidane argued. "He's never going to get better if you hassle him like that. And that doesn't explain your rudeness to Blank, either."

"Blank is a pervert," Amarant said sharply.

"Blank is a regular person, just like you an me," said Zidane. "You have no right to judge him. If he is in love with my brother, then so be it. I'm not asking you to like it, I'm only asking you to respect it."

Amarant snorted again and said nothing.

"Please, Amarant," said Zidane. "I don't ask much from you, and I'm asking you this as a friend. Just tolerate him. Both of them. Kuja _is_ getting better. Given time, I'm sure we can turn him around. He's already come so far."

"I still don't know why you spared him," Amarant muttered.

Zidane frowned, becoming annoyed. "For the same reason I saved you," he said sharply. "He deserved another chance. Now please. Do I have your word that you will leave those two in peace?"

Amarant grumbled a bit more, but in the end he acquiesced. "Sure, fine. Whatever."

Zidane sighed in relief and smiled. "Thank you, Amarant," he said. "I knew I could count on you to be reasonable."

Amarant rolled his eyes, though it was difficult to see under his hair. "Whatever. Just go tend to that friend of yours and let _me_ in peace."

Zidane grinned and hopped down from his stool. He felt just the tiniest bit more hopeful as he went back to check on Blank.

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	21. Chapter 21

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 21

  
  
Thoughts swam wildly through Kuja's head. 

'Lord of the dragons? What on Gaia did he mean, Lord? I've never heard of such a thing for dragonbonds. How is it possible?' But the deep conviction with which Zaruyon had said it left no doubt in Kuja's mind that it was true. He wasn't sure why, and he wasn't sure how it had escaped his notice, but he was sure that Zaruyon had been telling him the truth.

The ashes of Zaruyon's body were scattering in the wind as Kuja turned and strode back to the body of the snow drake. When Kuja approached him however, he noticed that the creature wasn't as dead as he had assumed. The chest still rose and fell with breath, and the creature's open eyes told Kuja that he was conscious, though apparently unable to stand. Kuja felt a black rage surge up in his heart, but he focused it; his mission was not yet complete.

He came to a stop next to the beast's body and stared down at him. The drake was making pitiful low groaning noises. Probably the force of Zaruyon's tail had broken some of his bones, maybe ribs. Kuja hoped darkly that it hurt. A lot.

He reached out with one booted foot and stepped on the drake's windpipe, stopping his breath. The drake's mouth opened and his tongue lolled out. Pitiful smothered squealing noises came from his throat as his air was cut off.

"Tell me where your clan is," Kuja said coldly.

_Traitor!_ the drake spat.

"Tell me!" Kuja roared, putting more of his weight onto the drake's neck. "A dragon just died because of your foolish attack! Your kind are scum! Worms! Attacking from the shadows in an ambush like cowards! You are not fit to call yourselves dragon kin!"

The drake quailed at his anger. _Please don't kill me,_ he said.

"I won't," Kuja agreed, "so long as you tell me where your clan's cave is."

The drake whimpered some more. _A little further up the mountain,_ he said. _Slightly more to the east side. Behind a huge stone arch. Please let me go!_

Kuja shook his head and removed his foot from the drake's throat. "Filth," he said. "I hope that your clan does not come down for you. You are not worthy of their loyalty." He turned away and began to climb to where the drake had instructed.

It turned out to be quite close by, and Kuja felt a twinge of sadness at how close they had come without knowing it. If he and Zaruyon had just pressed on a little further before making camp for the night... But there was no changing the past now.

Kuja stood and stared at the stone arch the drake had described. It was indeed enormous, probably a remnant of some long-dead people that had lived here, but who had moved on, away from the bitter cold of the mountain. A huge cave spread out into the rock behind the arch, shielded from the worst of the winds. Kuja gathered himself and strode in.

There was not much more to the cave system than one large room. Several smaller tunnels branched off from it, but from what Kuja could see they did not go very far, and did not lead to very large caverns. The main cavern was the focus of the cave system, and it was expansive, an almost perfect hemisphere with a radius of at least twenty feet.

Nearly a hundred drakes, far too many for him to fight, if it came to that, huddled in the center of the room, and they all turned to look at him as he entered. A hiss started up, first soft, and then growing as more and more drakes joined in. At the far end of the cavern, on a raised stone, a single drake, larger than all the others, struggled to her feet. It was on her that Kuja focused. The Queen Drake.

She was sizably larger than any of the others, another two feet longer at least and a full head taller. Two fin-like ridges fanned out from the sides of her head almost like ears. Her scales glistened a bright white in the dim light of several dozen globes of pale yellow mage-light.

_Silence,_ came the calm thought from the Queen. Instantly the hissing stopped. _You. Dragonbond. Why have you come here?_

"You poisoned one of my friends," said Kuja. "I have come for the antidote."

_You presume much, traitor,_ said the Queen. _You, who led thousands of white dragons to their death. You, who led them all in a cause which you then abandoned as soon as you had lost your battle. Feckless. Disloyal. What right have you to call on the help of the dragon kin?_

For a moment, Kuja felt the old guilt threaten to overwhelm him. How could he answer to this? How could he answer her accusations when he knew them to be true?

But then suddenly, Zaruyon's words returned to his mind. Dragon Lord, Zaruyon had called him. Leader of all dragon kind. Didn't that mean that he had some kind of duty? As the white dragon had not abandoned him, he had no right to turn his back on the dragons.

"I am a dragonbond. And as such, I am your Lord. You must heed my request. And heed this as well: I may have changed the cause I supported. But it is not because I am disloyal. I have discovered now what is right. I discovered a true cause. What I did that led the white dragons to their death was a mistake. That I understand. But I have learned from it. And I will not make it again."

There was silence in the cavern for a while. Then finally, the Queen spoke once more. _Noble words indeed, Kuja the dragonbond. But do you speak the truth?_

"I would swear it on my life," said Kuja, holding himself up proudly.

The Queen seemed pleased with this. _Then so shall you wager it. We will find whether you are still loyal. Guards! Take him to Caranteth!_

Kuja had only a few seconds to wonder who Caranteth was before a group of drakes detached themselves from the crowd and walked towards him, swishing their tales menacingly. They arranged themselves in a circle around him, and the two in front turned and began to lead the way through the crowd towards a tunnel near the back of the cavern. Kuja followed curiously, though, he admitted to himself, it wasn't as if he had much of a choice.

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	22. Chapter 22

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 22

**-------------------------**

**Looks like there are going to be 30 chapters in this thing, including epilogue. So we're in the home stretch! Yay!**

**-------------------------**  
  
As Kuja followed his guards up through the passage, he felt the air grow colder and realized that this tunnel connected back to the outside. There were enough twists and turns to make it difficult for the warm air to escape the cavern, but the further they went, the more evident it became that they would soon reach the snow.

Though he knew it was coming, he was still not prepared for it. The brightness of the stark white snow was a blinding contrast to the dim interior of the cavern, lit though it was by the draconian mage-lights. When his eyes finally adjusted to the light, he found that he was in a strange sort of outdoor cave, at least half as wide as the main cavern had been. High stone peaks surrounded the space on all sides, but the top was not covered; it was like a large cavern with no roof. And in the center of the space was-

Kuja gasped. "I-impossible," he said. But it was true. Right before his eyes was a creature believed to have gone extinct thousands of years earlier.

"A... mirror dragon?"

The dragon, which Kuja now realized must be Caranteth, was enormous, half-again as large as Zaruyon, though more sleek and streamlined than the white dragon. As the creature unfurled his wings slightly, the outlines of his form shifted, coming in and out of view as his silver scales mirrored the surrounding rock faces. But the inside of the wings were dark, providing large black spaces that were easier to focus on, and the dragon's eyes, when he opened them at last, were golden, reminding Kuja forcibly of Blank's.

_So this is the Kuja-Child._ The voice in Kuja's head was much loftier, icier than Zaruyon's had been. _We meet at last._

Flustered, Kuja hurriedly bowed. "Forgive my rudeness Great One. I was simply in awe. I had thought your kind extinct long ago."

The dragon chuckled. _As you can see, Kuja-Child, that is not the case. Though we are quite rare, we still exist. And in enough numbers to breed and re-establish ourselves if we so choose. But this talk is not why you are here._

One of the drake guards next to Kuja spoke up. _The Queen wants him tested. She wants you to test his soul, to see if-_

_I understand what is requested of me,_ the dragon said, sounding slightly annoyed. _Very well. Allow me to peer into your soul, Kuja-Child._

Unsure of what, exactly, he was supposed to do, Kuja closed his eyes, and after a few moments felt a sudden jolt, followed by the strangest sensation of floating. He tried as hard as he could to concentrate on his feelings towards the dragons, on his love and respect for the whole draconian race. But somehow, he found his thoughts drifting towards Blank.

In his mind's eye he saw his friend lying sick in a bed, dying, waiting for Kuja to return with the desperately needed medicine.

**Who is this Gaian?**

He recognized the voice as the dragon's, but it was different. It seemed to come from inside him, as though it were his own voice simply thinking.

_Blank,_ he thought, unsure if the dragon could hear him, or if it was even the dragon he was speaking to. _This is Blank. He's sick. A snow drake bit him. The poison was meant for me, but he saved my life. And now he's dying, and I came up here to try to save him._

**A dragon died for this cause.**

Suddenly the picture in his mind shifted to Zaruyon, to his corpse as it had been before Kuja had burned it. He felt sadness well up in him once again at the thought of Zaruyon's death. It should never have happened. Yet another innocent life lost because of him.

_Yes,_ he answered. _This dragon died for me. So that I could live to retrieve the medicine for Blank._

The image disappeared, and Kuja once again felt himself to be floating. It was as though he were adrift in a sea of darkness. He felt alone, like the only being left in the entire Universe. He looked all around him but in all directions there was nothing but black, an endless ocean of nothing.

**You care so much the this Gaian?**

Kuja looked around, trying to pinpoint where the voice was coming from, but it was impossible. The sound seemed to be everywhere at once, even inside of him.

_I do,_ he said. _I love this Gaian._

**He is only mortal.**

_No. I am only mortal. I am only what I give back to the world. Any loyalties given to me, any friendships, are my blessings, not my rights. But I believe in my cause. I may be mortal, but I can still make a difference. I can still affect this man's life. It is in my power to save him from death. And perhaps to do so will make my mortality worthwhile._

The voice in his mind chuckled. It was a dark sound, but not entirely frightening. It tolled with the finality of a death bell, but it was not menacing.

**Well-spoken, Kuja-Child.**

And then suddenly Kuja opened his eyes to the brightness of a white, snow-filled sky. Sitting up, he found that he had fallen onto his back on the snowy ground. He shook his head slightly, dislodging some of the snow from his hair and clearing the remaining haze from his mind. The mirror dragon gazed down at him with large golden eyes that now seemed to hold a spark of laughter.

_Rejoice,_ he said to the drakes. _The Kuja-Child remains one of us. He is loyal. He has his determination. Give him what he came for._

The drakes practically fell over themselves to obey, and led Kuja back down into the tunnel that led to the main cavern.

_When you have received your antidote,_ Caranteth said as Kuja retreated, _return to me._

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	23. Chapter 23

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 23

  
  
Kuja could practically feel the joy of the drakes in front of him as they stumbled euphorically back down the tunnel. It puzzled him; he was surprised that, after having hated him so much, they should be so glad to know of his loyalty. But when he thought about it logically, it made sense: those that you care about the most are the ones capable of causing you the most pain. 

Kuja turned this thought over and over in his mind until finally the dull, drake-musk laden air hit him in the face and alerted him to the fact that they had re-entered the cavern. Once again, hundreds of beady golden drake eyes turned to stare at him as he became the focus of attention. On her stone dais, the Queen turned her massive body towards him.

She did not ask the question, but it was unnecessary. It hung in the air of the cavern, unspoken but understood, and the entire room waited with baited breath for the verdict.

_He is loyal!_ one of his guards blurted, his mind-voice joyful.

Instantly the room filled with noise. Loud, rasping grunts rang out throughout the room as the drakes cheered for him. Kuja closed his eyes and felt the adulation of the dragon-kin wash over him. It felt good to be loved again, he thought. He had missed being adored, worshipped, treated as a ruler.

But though it was intoxicating, it felt somehow... different.

Kuja blinked, trying to pinpoint it. Why was it that he did not feel the customary joy that came from such a loyal crowd? What was the difference?

Blank, golden eyes floated up into his memory. For a few seconds they were Caranteth's, but then suddenly the image resolved into Blank. And Kuja understood. It felt different because this was no longer the type of love he craved. He knew what real love felt like now, and compared to its bright light, hero-worship was just a flickering candle.

Kuja smiled sadly. Because already a resolution was forming in the back of his mind. And he knew that it would be the most difficult thing that he would ever do.

The Queen drake knelt down on one foreleg, inclining her great head toward him. _Welcome back, Lord Kuja. Please, take what you came for._

After just the briefest of hesitations, Kuja strode up to the platform and came to a halt next to the Queen drake. She looked up at him with intelligent, ice blue, slit-pupiled eyes, and fanned out the fin-like appendages on the sides of her head.

When she tilted her head slightly to one side, Kuja was finally able to glimpse his objective. Behind the fins on her head, at their base, was a patch of pinkish scales that stood out against the normal shining white. Only the Queen had them, which was why it had been so imperative that he speak directly to her.

Trying to be as gentle as possible, he reached forward and scraped off half a dozen of the pink scales. There was a small leather pouch on the belt he was wearing, and he removed it and placed the scales within. The Queen turned back to face him.

_I apologize if I hurt you, Madam,_ he said, careful to mindspeak only to her so as not to embarrass her in front of her subjects.

_No such apologies are necessary, Lord Kuja,_ she replied, and he could her the smile in her voice. _The news of your loyalty has healed a great wound. That is all that we wished._

He smiled and bowed to her, then watched as she did the same.

"Thank you," he said aloud to all the drakes. "The value of what you have given me is immeasurable, and there are no words for the depth of my gratitude."

Once again the cheering grunts filled the room, and Kuja made a graceful bow to all of them before turning to head back up the tunnel. As he left, he felt the well-wishing and "good lucks" from the crowd behind him. But rather than reassure him, this only served to remind him that he had a time limit, and time was running out.

He climbed as fast as he could up through the tunnel, until finally he emerged once again into the bright, sunlit clearing. Caranteth stood there on his hind legs, his wings outstretched, completely still. Kuja halted involuntarily, overcome with awe at the sight.

Apparently sensing his arrival, the mirror dragon set himself back down onto his forelegs and lowered his head to the ground next to Kuja. For a moment, the dragonbond was confused by this behavior, but then it dawned on him what Caranteth was asking him to do.

"You want me to ride you?"

_It is the only way that you will get back to your beloved in time,_ said Caranteth. _I am faster than Zaruyon was. If I carry you, then perhaps you will not be too late. I have seen into your heart, Kuja-Child. I know how important that boy's life is to you. It would be my honor to serve you._

Hurriedly, Kuja set himself astride the great beast's neck, trying to get used to the much larger frame. "The honor is mine," he said. "I am not worthy of such a privilege. I humbly thank you."

The dragon did not reply, but launched himself forcefully into the air and, with two great downsweeps of his wings, flew off into the late afternoon sun.

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	24. Chapter 24

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 24

  
  
Zidane had fallen asleep without realizing it in the wee hours of the morning, and so was startled to wake up into the bright light of morning. Garnet sat next to him, in the process of changing Blank's bandage. And because he was still slightly muddled from waking, it took Zidane a few seconds to realize that she had frozen in that position and was standing stiffly, listening. 

Then suddenly it came again: a noise, which Zidane now realized must have woken him. From just beyond the window he could hear the leathery flapping of large, draconian wings.

Zidane bolted upright, standing so fast that he knocked his chair over. "Kuja!" he gasped, and dashed for the door.

Hallways which had never seemed long before suddenly felt as though it took an eternity to travel them, even at a dead run. Zidane cursed them in his mind, and cursed his slow feet, and cursed whatever else came to mind just to vent some of his frustration and calm his nerves.

A tiny voice in the back of his mind kept saying that it might not be Kuja. There were other dragons. In fact, it might not even have been a dragon. Never mind that Blank need that medicine _now_, that Garnet had said that even if he was lucky enough to live through the night, he probably wouldn't last another full day. The pressing need had little to do with the actual timeliness of events, and it was possible that Kuja still wasn't here, that he was coming, that he might not even make it in time, that he might not even make it at all.

But as Zidane skidded into the courtyard, his heart leaped to see Kuja sliding down from the neck of... of...

Zidane shook his head, unsure if his sleep-muddled mind was deceiving him. But no, it was real. Whatever Kuja was sliding off of, it was nearly impossible to see. Zidane could _feel_ that there was some large creature there, but its flesh perfectly mirrored everything around it, so it seemed almost as though Kuja was descending from a being made of glass. Although even glass would have had clearer edges.

Again Zidane shook his head and turned his attention back to Kuja, who was even now striding towards him. There would be time to figure out his brother's strange mount later.

"Do you have it?" Zidane asked the second that he thought Kuja was close enough to hear him.

To Zidane's immense relief, Kuja wordlessly held up a small leather pouch. Zidane let out a breath he hadn't noticed he'd been holding, and led Kuja quickly inside and up to Blank's room.

When they reached it, Zidane pushed open the door as quietly as he could and ushered Kuja inside. His brother gasped as he caught sight of Blank. Staggering forward, he collapsed to his knees at the side of the bed and tentatively stretched forward one shaking hand to caress Blank's pale cheek.

"He... I had no idea it was so bad. He's practically transparent."

"Kuja," Zidane reminded him, "the medicine."

"Oh, yes." Kuja fumbled to retrieve the pouch and handed it to Garnet. "Here," he said, and Zidane could now make out in his voice how tired he was, "there should be six scales in the pouch. Powder them, and mix one into hot water, then make him drink. Give it to him once every day, in the mornings. Hopefully by the sixth morning he should be strong enough to take it on his own."

Garnet nodded and took the bag from him, clutching it to her breast. Zidane glimpsed her only long enough to see the tears of relief standing out on her cheeks before she turned and fled the room for the kitchen.

Zidane looked back at Kuja, who had seated himself on the floor next to Blank's bed and was clutching one of the pale hands between his own.

"You made it," Zidane said, smiling fondly at him.

"Time will tell," Kuja said quietly. "I was only in time if I came soon enough for the medicine to be effective. If he is already lost to us..." He trailed off.

Zidane moved over to the other bed in the room, where Garnet had slept during the short snatches of relief she had had. He pulled the blanket from it and moved back over to Kuja, draping it across his brother's shoulders. Kuja looked briefly up at him and smiled gratefully.

"So what's with the thing that brought you here?" Zidane asked.

"Caranteth is a mirror dragon," said Kuja softly, not taking his eyes from Blank's face. "We flew all night to get here. He carried me all the way back from the mountain. If I was in time, it is only thanks to him."

"What happened to that white dragon?" Zidane watched as Kuja visibly flinched, and his expression became mournful. Kuja, it seemed, had gone through as much pain as any of them with this experience, maybe more.

"He died," Kuja said softly, confirming Zidane's suspicions. "He sacrificed himself for me. So that I could save Blank."

There was something strange in Kuja's voice, something that hinted at a hidden intention. But before Zidane could question him about it, Garnet returned with a steaming cup in her hands. "Someone has to prop him up," she said.

Kuja stood quickly, the blanket still wrapped around him, and crawled onto Blank's bed. With a gentle tenderness that surprised even Zidane, Kuja lifted Blank's head and placed it in his own lap, propping him at a high enough elevation that they would be able to feed the medicine into him.

Zidane watched as Kuja held Blank's head steady and Garnet poured the warm liquid between his lips a little at a time, making sure that Blank would not choke. It seemed to take forever, but finally the last of the medicine was gone, and Garnet sat back on her heels.

Kuja was drooping, and looked about ready to fall asleep where he sat. Zidane smiled. "Kuja? If you'd like to sleep, you can use the other bed in this room. That way you'll be near Blank. Garnet and I will go to the master bedroom. Okay?"

Kuja nodded, and with some apparent reluctance, shifted Blank's head back down onto his pillow. Getting up seemed to be a struggle for him, and finally Zidane had to come forward and help Kuja to the other bed, where he collapsed bonelessly onto the mattress.

Zidane smiled and gestured to Garnet, walking with her to the door. But before he could leave, there was a feeble protest from Kuja.

"Please tell Caranteth that I am here, and that he should find a place to rest. I would like to talk to him when I wake."

"Will do," Zidane assured him, but Kuja had fallen asleep too quickly to hear even that.

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	25. Chapter 25

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 25

  
  
Blank felt himself floating in a dark, red mist. No matter which way he looked, he could see nothing but red. Sometimes he thought he could sense shapes in the mist just beyond his vision, but they were indistinct, hazy, and faded back into the darkness whenever he tried to focus on them. 

The mist was distressing, and not just because it obscured his vision. He felt it seeping into his lungs, and knew that it was poisoning him. Every breath he drew in, heavily laden with the mist, constricted his breathing painfully. He understood in some indefinable way that it was killing him. And he knew that it would not take much longer.

Blank tried to move his legs, to run out of the mist, perhaps towards the shapes, but as it had been each other time he tried, he couldn't seem to make his muscles work. He felt them stretch and work as they should, but his body did not seem to move.

It occurred to Blank that he was not wearing his blindfold. For a moment he considered the idea that his strange eyesight might be the cause of the mist, but then he quickly discarded the thought. Always before, whenever he had looked out with his uncovered eyes, he had seen swirling colors, and strange shapes, and other things that could not be defined by human senses. Never before had his vision been so clouded, let alone a single hue. So whatever was the cause of this, it was not his eyes.

But if his eyes _were_ uncovered, then why was he seeing this? Could it be some apocalyptic future for Gaia? Was that the reason for the poisonous red mist? But if so, the mist should not have been able to hurt him, since it was only a vision. Had he somehow lost his sight altogether? The thought chilled him.

Very slowly, Blank became aware of a rushing noise, like water. He twisted his head, trying to discern where it was coming from, but it seemed to be everywhere. For a moment it seemed as though it was inside him, that perhaps the sound was only the blood rushing in his ears. But then, gradually, a dull, reflective light filtered in through the red mist; it was a lake.

Aware that he was no longer floating and had somehow been placed on firm ground, Blank walked towards the lake. When he neared the edge, he hesitated. He still heard the sound of running water. It couldn't possibly be coming from the lake, which was far too still to make such a noise. Hesitantly, Blank stepped forward until he felt the cold, lapping water at the tips of his feet. The mist thinned out over the lake, and as Blank peered into it, it dissipated completely, and Blank got his first glimpse of the waterfall.

It was not far out into the lake; indeed, the water didn't stretch back as far as he had assumed. About thirty feet away, a large rocky crag jutted out into the lake, and from there a beautiful stream of crystal clear water cascaded down into the lake. Smaller protruding rocks dotted the water around the cliff's edge, and on one of them, Blank caught a glimpse of a figure.

The person was sitting halfway down one of the rocks with calves half submerged in the water, and was facing away from him. The figure's long, white hair cascaded down the pale flesh of the back, and looked inordinately soft.

Suddenly, as if sensing Blank's presence, the figure turned, and Blank saw that it was Kuja sitting on the rock, completely nude. The other man's eyes pierced his, seeming to bore right down into his soul. Powerless to stop himself, Blank waded out into the water.

The slope of the ground under the water was not steep, and he had gotten nearly ten feet out before the water even came up to his knees. By twenty feet it was at his waist, and by the time he reached Kuja it was about halfway up his chest.

Kuja smiled at him and reached out a hand to draw him up onto the rock. Blank took the hand gratefully, glad to be out of the freezing water, which had begun to feel almost smothering. He sat himself next to Kuja and gazed into the man's eyes, captivated by the deep mystery within them. Kuja smiled once again and reached a hand out to place on Blank's cheek, drawing him in for a long, luxurious kiss.

As the kiss drew on, Blank felt the poisonous constriction in his lungs suddenly subside. It was as though Kuja's kiss was some cool nectar, and he delighted in the taste of it, leaning in for more. Kuja gladly obliged him, but then pulled back. Blank gazed questioningly at him, but Kuja simply smiled once more, a mischievous, enigmatic look gracing his features.

Blank opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but was suddenly halted as Kuja laid his hands across Blank's eyes. Blank was startled, and reached up to place his own hands over Kuja's. He was once again reminded that he was not wearing his blindfold, and he wondered how he could see Kuja so normally.

He closed his eyes under Kuja's hands and concentrated on the darkness behind the lids. It was different from the red of the mist. It was a familiar darkness. It was the darkness of sleep, of closed eyes. It was the same darkness that fell on everyone, this darkness of hibernation. And it was just as easy to lift. All you had to do was open your eyes...

Blank did so, and for a split second saw the ceiling of the bedroom as it appeared to everyone else before his vision was suddenly assaulted by the riotous color and strange information that he was used to with the lack of his blindfold. Hurriedly he closed his eyes again and placed a hand over them, groping around for the belt and pad he usually restrained his vision with.

Then suddenly he felt cool hands at his temples, and a soothing kiss on his forehead. He allowed the deft touch to remove the hand from his eyes and felt the belt being buckled once more around his head. Cautiously he opened his eyes behind the blindfold, and focused on the worried face of Kuja.

"How are you feeling?" Kuja asked him.

Blank shook his head slightly, trying to dislodge the residual foggy feeling he retained after waking. He vaguely remembered something about mist, and about water, but the details were already fading from his mind. "I feel alright. What happened?"

"You were bitten by a snow drake," Kuja told him. "You've been unconscious for nearly two weeks."

Blank's jaw dropped open in amazement. Two weeks? It couldn't possibly have been so long, could it? It seemed like just a few hours before that he had jumped between Kuja and the monster; he remembered _that_ clearly.

"But, how? Why so long?"

Kuja stared determinedly at the blankets on the bed, refusing to meet Blank's gaze. His tail swept up and curled loosely about his waist; it was a protective gesture, and one Blank recognized from Zidane as guilt. "You should have died," Kuja said softly. "You almost did."

Blank stared at him in surprise, and Kuja continued. "Snow drake poison is usually fatal, but I knew of an antidote, so I traveled out to get it. Garnet and Eiko kept you alive until I could return. That's why you were unconscious for a week and a half; it took me that long to come back with the medicine."

"Thank you for doing that for me," Blank said, puzzled. "So then, what is it that you feel so guilty about?" Oops. He hadn't meant to ask that last question; it had just naturally slipped out.

Kuja started and for a second looked up and met his eyes. Blank could see in them a fear of being read so easily, and could also unmistakably see the deep guilt that he had suspected before Kuja looked back down again.

"It's my fault you got hurt," Kuja said. "That drake was trying to kill me, not you. You shouldn't have been put in such a horrible position."

"Nah, that's alright," Blank said dismissively. "I ended up okay, didn't I? And if you had been hurt, then none of us would have known where to go for the antidote. So there's no harm done in the long-"

"Zaruyon's dead," Kuja interrupted.

Blank stopped cold, his words dying on his lips. Zaruyon? That was Kuja's white dragon. But... dead? "How?" he managed.

"I was bitten by a drake up in the mountains," Kuja said. Blank could hear repressed tears in Kuja's voice and reached out boldly to stroke his tail. "Zaruyon gave me his life and his immunity to save me from the poison."

Blank felt a pang of sorrow at the loss of the dragon. He had come to like the beast, and even if he had never had the connection to it that Kuja did, he was still sorry to see the great animal go.

"I'm sorry, Kuja," he said.

Kuja wiped one sleeve hurriedly across his eyes and sniffed. "It's my fault," he said. "It's always my fault. Everyone I get close to gets hurt. Because I'm the Angel of Death. It's my fault."

"No. Kuja..." Blank moved himself so that he could lean closer to Kuja and stopped stroking Kuja's tail to lay the hand on his thigh. "Kuja, you can't blame yourself for this. You can't-"

At that moment, the door opened, and Zidane stepped into the room. Upon seeing Blank sitting up, he broke into a wide grin. "You're awake! Yeah!" He bounded forward and swept Blank into an enthusiastic hug. "Man, that's so great." He turned and called towards the hallway, "Hey, Dagger! Eiko! Everyone! Blank's awake!"

Blank had only a moment to notice the pain and self-recrimination in Kuja's eyes before he was swept up in the effusive greetings of his friends.

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	26. Chapter 26

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 26

  
  
Kuja watched the small swarm of people exclaim happily over Blank's awakening, and felt numb inside.

It was the right thing to do, he told himself. It was the hardest decision he had ever made, and it was tearing him apart inside, but it was the right thing to do.

Slowly, as unobtrusively as he could manage, he snuck behind the happy crowd and slid out the door. In the corridor he walked slowly, listening to the click of his shoes on the floor tiles. They echoed loudly in the empty hall.

'This is for the best,' he told himself. 'No more putting anyone in danger. No more of people getting hurt for me. No more inflicting the Angel of Death upon them. I'll just go. I'll go as far away as I can.'

He tried to think to himself which belongings he should take with him, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he had nothing to take. Other than the clothes on his back, what did he have here that he really owned? No, if it was going to be a complete disappearance, then he shouldn't take anything. He would just be suddenly gone, like a whisper, or a dream.

His heart ached in his chest and for a moment he wished desperately that he had something, some sort of keepsake which he could remember Blank by. But there was nothing. He would have to be content with his memories. They would have to be enough.

He paused at the door to the garden, allowing his eyes to adjust to the bright early morning light. He scanned the field in front of him and saw, in the shade beneath one of the trees, a slight shimmering in the air. He smiled. Only someone who knew what he was looking at would be able to discern the shape accurately. He strode towards Caranteth.

Though he had been napping, the dragon was awake by the time Kuja got there. He opened his eyes and stared at Kuja. _Where are you going, Kuja-Child?_

Kuja reached forward and embraced the large head, stroking the side of the muzzle. "Anywhere. Anywhere you wish. Just take me away from here."

_Why are you running, Kuja-Child?_

"I have to," Kuja replied softly. "I'm a danger to those that I care about. People who get close to me always end up being hurt. Zaruyon died for me, and Blank nearly did. I can't put anyone else in that kind of danger. I... I have to do the right thing."

_That is a noble ideal, certainly. Are you sure this is what you wish?_

Kuja thought of Blank, lying near death in his bed, and of Zaruyon, whose life energy even now coursed through Kuja's veins. How could he have been so stupid as to put them in danger like that? Never again. They would be safe now that he was gone.

"I'm sure," he whispered, and felt his heart breaking at the words. "Take me away from here, Caranteth. Take me as far away as you can."

The dragon lowered his head so that Kuja could mount, but then hesitated. _Kuja-Child, I have seen into your heart. I know how much this mortal means to you, and I imagine that you mean at least as much to him. It saddens me that you feel you must leave him like this._

Kuja squeezed his eyes shut. "Please don't make this harder for me than it is, Caranteth. I don't want to leave him. I love him. But I have to. For his sake, and for my brother's as well, I must leave this place."

The dragon bowed his head in acquiescence. _Whatever you wish, Kuja-Child._ He waited for Kuja to mount, then turned his gaze upward and launched them both into the sky.

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Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.   
or   
Oh God, that was hideous. Let me complain to the author. 


	27. Chapter 27

Innocence Reborn   
Chapter 27

Blank greeted the effusive hugs and delighted exclamations with tolerant amusement. Everyone was speaking to him at once, asking how he was feeling and if he needed anything. He shook his head, smiling at them and holding up his hands.

"Don't everyone mob me all at once now. I feel fine. Really."

"You still have two more infusions to take," Garnet told him sternly. She held out a cup full of a warm liquid to him. He took it and drank it down quickly. It was bitter, but soothing in an odd way. He grinned up at her. "Am I good to go now?"

"You still need to take one of those tomorrow morning," she said, "but I'd say that you're fine. Just keep lying down and don't do too much for now. It wouldn't do for you to have a relapse, now would it?"

Blank shook his head. "Of course not, Your Highness."

Finally, Garnet smiled at him, and Blank knew that she had been just as worried as anyone else. "Thank you for taking such good care of me," he said to her.

She bowed her head in acknowledgement as a tiny voice piped up from the bedside, "I helped too!"

Blank looked down to see Eiko standing with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring up at him. He swallowed a laugh, thinking it might offend her. Instead he reached down and patted her on the head. "So I heard. Thanks Munchkin."

She beamed up at him, apparently unconcerned by the nickname. "You're welcome!" she chirped.

He looked up from her when Zidane stepped forward. His friend hesitated for a moment, then knelt down and embraced him tightly. "I was really worried about you," Zidane said softly. "I'm glad you're okay."

Blank patted him on the back. He hadn't known he had so many friends. The thought brought forth an unexpected warmth in him, and he found himself blinking back tears. 'I won't cry,' he thought to himself. 'I won't cry over something this trivial.' And he didn't. But just barely.

"Anyway," said Zidane gruffly once he pulled back. (Blank suspected that he too was a little shaky in the emotions department at the moment.) "It's a damn good thing that Kuja knew where to get that antidote. You really owe your life to him." He turned to gesture at the chair where his brother was sitting.

It took Blank a second to realize that Kuja was not there. He felt his heart begin suddenly to beat rapidly in his chest. Unbidden, the memory rose into his mind of the look in Kuja's eyes at the end of their last conversation. Panic started to well within him, but he forced it down.

He threw off the blankets on top of him and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Immediately Garnet was at his side, her hand firmly gripping his upper arm and holding him down. "Where do you think you're going?" she asked, the stern tone returning to her voice.

"You don't understand," pleaded Blank. "I have to find him. The way he looked, I just- I need to find him! I need to make sure he's okay!"

"I'll go," Zidane volunteered. "I'll find him; you don't have to get up."

"No," said Blank, shaking his head. "Everyone has to go. Search the castle top to bottom if you have to. We _need_ to find him!" Even he heard the panic entering his voice. He knew he couldn't keep calm much longer.

"Alright," said Garnet. "We'll all go look. But you'd better stay in bed!"

Blank nodded, and laid back as the others trooped out of the room. As soon as he was sure they were a good distance away, he threw back the covers once more and surged to his feet.

It was not a good idea. He immediately felt faint and had to sit down again. But a second, more cautious attempt yielded better results. Moving swiftly but carefully, he opened the door and jogged as fast as he dared down the corridor. He knew where he would find Kuja. There was only one place.

Kuja had come here on a dragon. And a dragon would only stay outside.

He made it down to the garden in a relatively short amount of time, though it took longer than he would have liked. He felt dizzy when he arrived, and it occurred to him that perhaps this was not the smartest thing he'd ever done. But the situation felt too urgent for any other course of action.

He stumbled out into the open and looked around desperately for any sign of Kuja. He had to be out here. He _had_ to be.

A sudden shaft of sunlight shone onto the ground in front of him. Normally this would not have seemed strange, but the sky was overcast. The clouds were thick, and threatening rain, so the bright light seemed out of place. Blank looked up.

Here and there, something shone in the sky. Shards of light glinted off of some sort of metallic surface as something large moved through the clouds.

Blank knew instinctively what it must be. He wished desperately for his knife, but it was with his belongings, which must have been back up in the bedroom. He glanced around desperately for something to use, and his eyes settled on a fist-sized rock. Praying that it would be enough, he snatched it up and hurled it as hard as he could up at the silvery shape.

The response didn't take long. The silvery flashes quickened for a moment, then disappeared altogether. Blank held his breath, then let it out in a terrified gasp as a giant shape suddenly hurtled down towards him from the sky. He backed up hastily.

The dragon landed with a few downsweeps of its great wings and Kuja slid off from its neck. Blank felt a sense of deja-vu wash over him, remembering that his first conversation with Kuja had happened in just such a manner. But Kuja's eyes were not filled with righteous fury this time. They were annoyed, certainly, but the emotion was overwhelmed by an almost palpable despair.

Kuja approached him, then stopped when they were about four feet apart. "What are you doing, Blank?" he asked wearily.

Blank wanted to go forward, to take his shoulders and shake him, but he was hesitant to breach the distance that Kuja had imposed between them.

"Me? What are _you_ doing?! Why on earth are you running away?"

Kuja looked down at the ground. "You'll be safer this way. You'll all be safer. I am the Angel of Death, Blank. Everything around me dies. Zaruyon perished for me, and you nearly followed the same fate. I will not put you or anyone else into that kind of danger again. It is best if I leave."

Blank felt himself gaping at this pronouncement. Was this really how Kuja felt? Had he been so depressed? He felt himself shaking his head, though he didn't remember consciously deciding to do so. "No..." the word came out of him on its own. "No, Kuja, you can't do that."

"I must," said Kuja softly. "I would never forgive myself if you were hurt again because of me."

"What do you think your leaving would do?" Blank yelled. "Listen Kuja. You remember when you got so angry at your brother and me for not letting you make your own decision about our relationship? Kuja, what do you think this is? Don't you think we should be the ones to make the decision about whether or not we want to stay with you?"

"But... I..."

Deciding to take his chances, Blank crossed this distance between them and put his hands on Kuja's shoulders. Startled by the touch, Kuja looked up and met Blank's eyes. It was his downfall. Blank could virtually see Kuja's resolve crumbling. He smiled and leaned forward, bringing their faces close together.

"I... can't..." Kuja managed, and then they were kissing sweetly. Blank grinned against Kuja's mouth. He knew that he had him now; there was no way that he would let Kuja leave again.

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	28. Chapter 28

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 28

Zidane cursed silently as he jogged back down the hallway. He had checked the whole wing, and Kuja was nowhere to be found. He'd have to check in on Blank and then see if anyone else had found him.

It was in this mindset that he opened the door to Blank's room only to find his friend's bed empty.

Zidane gaped for a few moments. Gone? He was _gone_? In a flash it all made sense. Of course Blank would want them out of the way so that he could go look for Kuja himself. If it were him and Garnet in the same situation, Zidane might well do the same thing himself.

He cursed again, this time out loud. Now, in addition to having to find Kuja, he had to look out for Blank as well. He turned from the doorway and began making his way towards the central staircase in this wing.

But as he approached it, he heard voices and stopped. As he watched, Kuja walked down the hallway towards him, supporting Blank, who had one arm draped over Kuja's shoulders. Kuja was worrying at him like a mother hen.

"-idiot," he was saying. "You should know better than to leave your bed to go wandering around when you're still sick! You could push yourself into a relapse of the fever, or even something worse! You're so irresponsible. You really need someone to take care of you."

Zidane hid a grin behind his hand and started towards them. "Hey guys," he hailed them. "I see you found him, Blank? What was all the fuss about?"

"Oh, ah, false alarm," said Blank, but the look on his face said, 'I'll explain later.' Zidane nodded, then smiled at Kuja.

"Let's get him back to bed, shall we?"

Kuja nodded, a tiny worried frown creasing the middle of his forehead. It was almost cute.

With Zidane's help, they got Blank back to the room and back into the bed, where he snuggled down under the blankets contentedly. He looked pleased with himself. Zidane was practically dying of curiosity by this point.

"Kuja?" he asked. "Would you mind leaving me with Blank? I'd like to talk to him."

"Of course," said Kuja, with a slight bowing of his head. He picked up the bowl of water that they had been using to wet the cool cloth they placed on Blank's forehead. "I'll just go refresh this," he said. He hastily made his way out the door.

"So," said Zidane to Blank when they were alone. "What happened?"

"Kuja was trying to leave," Blank said softly. "He thought that by staying here, he was putting us all in danger. So he wanted to leave for our sake. He was trying to protect everyone."

Zidane inhaled sharply. "But... leave? Really?"

Blank nodded. "He was already on the dragon by the time I got out there. I think I managed to convince him to stay, but... well. Anyway, I think he'll be a little fragile for a while."

Zidane frowned, pondering this. "I'll have to make extra sure that Amarant doesn't do anything to upset him," he said.

"No need," came a voice from the doorway. The two men turned to find Amarant leaning against the wooden doorframe, watching them. Though he had replied to Zidane's comment, he was staring at Blank.

"He really intended to leave in order to keep all of us safe?" he asked.

Blank nodded. "That's the long and short of it," he said.

Amarant shook his head, grinning. He looked over at Zidane. "He takes after you a bit too much, I see." Though he couldn't see it, Zidane got the distinct sense that Amarant was rolling his eyes. "Well, don't worry about me. I won't bother him. Or you," he said, addressing Blank.

"Thanks," said Blank skeptically. "But why the change of heart?"

Amarant shrugged. "A man who would sacrifice his happiness for his friends' safety can't be all bad." And here he looked piercingly at Blank. "And if you're worth him giving up that happiness for, then you can't be all bad either."

Now Blank grinned. "Thanks for the sentiment," he said.

"Yeah, well," said Amarant dismissively. "Don't let it go to your head. It's not like I like either of you or anything. I'm just agreeing to stay out of your way."

"Deal," said Blank.

Amarant turned and walked out, just as Kuja returned with the fresh bowl of water. "Are you two done here?" he asked.

Zidane looked over at Blank. "Yeah, I think so," he said. He winked at Blank. "I'll leave you two alone and go reassure everyone that Kuja's not dead or anything. See ya!"

He walked out of the bedroom, chuckling to himself. As he closed the door softly behind him, he saw Garnet running towards him with a worried expression.

"Did you find him?" she asked breathlessly.

"Blank did," he assured her. "Everything's alright, don't worry." He smiled to himself. "I think they're going to be okay."

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	29. Chapter 29

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 29

**--------------------------**

**Note: This chapter contains material some might find objectionable (though not lemon; sorry guys). If you're easily offended, this is your warning to get out. If you flame me, then it will just make you look like a 'tard. You've been warned. On with the show!**

**---------------------------**

Blank settled himself comfortably down under the covers, and sighed contentedly before looking over at Kuja, who had seated himself in the chair by Blank's bedside.

"Kuja?" he asked softly.

Kuja looked up at him quickly, as though he had been startled out of deep thought. "Uh, yes?" he said.

"Just wanted to be absolutely clear about this. You _are_ staying, aren't you?"

Kuja smiled self-deprecatingly. Blank thought it also looked a little sad. "Yes, Blank. I am staying."

Though he had known this already, Blank felt relief rush through him anew at these words. He hadn't realized how much it meant to him, to have Kuja say it out loud, to know for certain that he wasn't going to leave again.

"That's good," he said out loud, "because I love you."

An expression of shocked innocence descended on Kuja's face. He looked almost comical, and Blank felt in that instant a warmth inside him that made him absolutely certain of the words he had just spoken. He did love Kuja.

"I..." and now Kuja blushed. It was vivid on top of his pale complexion. "I love you too. I'm sorry if... if I scared you."

Blank grinned. "Not at all. At least, nothing I won't get over. Now-" he lifted the corner of his blanket invitingly, "-get in here, would you?"

Kuja's blush deepened, but he did as Blank asked and climbed into the bed, snuggling against Blank seemingly without meaning to. Blank wrapped an arm around him and held him close. It felt good to touch someone again, to have someone so physically close that he could feel the warmth seeping into his skin. He pressed his lips against Kuja's hair in a soft kiss.

For a long time Blank just laid there, listening to the soft sounds of their mingled breathing, appreciating the feel of the smooth skin of Kuja's back under his fingertips. (He had slipped his hand under Kuja's shirt.) But eventually a thought came to him, and he felt compelled to break the silence.

"Hey Kuja, you mind if I ask you a kind of personal question? You don't have to answer it if you don't want to."

Blank felt Kuja's body tense next to him, and he sought out Kuja's tail and stroked it soothingly. Kuja seemed to calm a bit at this. "Sure," he said quietly.

"Are you a virgin?" Blank asked.

There was silence for a long time, to the point where Blank began to think that Kuja would not answer him. But finally the response came, at a near-whisper. "No."

Blank said nothing, and after a moment of silence, Kuja continued nervously. "I-I mean, I haven't... not with anyone who wasn't... I mean, none of them wanted..."

"Shh," said Blank, cutting him off. As he was speaking, Kuja had become continually more distressed. But Blank understood what he meant. "You raped them," he said bluntly.

Kuja nodded miserably against Blank's chest. "I'm sorry," he said, and Blank heard the edge of tears in his voice. "I'm a horrible person." Kuja's whole body was trembling.

"No." Blank went back to stroking Kuja's tail, even as he pulled him closer with his other hand. "You were a different person back then. I understand. You're not like that any more. I know that; that's why I couldn't let you leave."

Kuja did not reply, and after a few more minutes of stroking, his trembling eased. "I'm sorry I asked that," Blank murmured. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's alright," said Kuja. "I want you to know about me. I don't want to lie to you, or to hide things from you. I want to be that different person for you. I want... I want this life to be honest. And real."

Blank smiled. "Love is about as real as it gets, baby."

Kuja looked up at him and returned the smile hesitantly. "I'm glad," he said.

Blank leaned down and kissed him.

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	30. Chapter 30

Innocence Reborn  
Chapter 30

**-------------------  
Warning: Huge amounts of sap. Reading may cause cavities. Enjoy the last chapter, and let me know if you have any desire/ideas for a sequel/side story. I'd be more than happy to write it if I had any good ideas. And thank all of you so much for reading, and for all your wonderful reviews!  
-------------------**

Kuja placed a single white lily on the gravestone, then stepped back. As he stared at the flower, he felt Blank's arm come up and wrap around his waist, drawing him close against his lover's side. He sighed in contentment at the closeness, though the feeling was overshadowed by his remembered sorrow.

He read the inscription on the stone to himself.

_Zaruyon  
White Dragon _

A noble sacrifice  
took the life of one  
most loyal  
We shall not soon see his like again

He felt a suspicious burning in the corners of his eyes, but refused to let the tears fall. He had cried already for Zaruyon, he would be strong for him now.

Kuja strove to remember Zaruyon with as much detail as he could, and was only startled out of this reverie a good deal later when Blank shifted awkwardly at his side. He suddenly realized that they had been standing next to the stone for quite a long time, and it was probably best that they return to the castle.

He briefly leaned his head on Blank's shoulder, drawing a bit more comfort from the touch, then stepped away from him and turned to his right to face a larger pair of golden eyes.

"Thank you so much for staying with us, Caranteth. Are you sure that you cannot remain longer?"

_I am afraid not, Kuja-Child,_ Caranteth replied. _The snow drake colony needs me; I am their protector. I have been away long enough as it is. I am happy, however, that events worked out in your favor. I shall carry the good news back to the colony._

Kuja smiled and stroked the side of the huge muzzle. "Thank you, Caranteth," he said. "You are a great friend. Please do come back to visit us some time, though."

Caranteth smiled with his eyes. _I will do that, Kuja-Child. Thank you, and goodbye._

Without more warning than that, Caranteth leaped into the air and was soon a mere speck, vanishing quickly into the distance. Kuja watched him go until he couldn't see him any longer, and then turned back to Blank.

"Shall we return to the castle?" he asked.

Blank nodded and stepped forward, putting an arm around Kuja's shoulders. "You okay?" he asked softly as they began to walk back up the stone garden path.

Kuja nodded wearily. "I'm fine. I do miss Zaruyon, but I suppose that grief is only natural; he was a good friend."

"No kidding," said Blank. "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be around today. Caranteth too. And you, of course." He leaned over and kissed Kuja's cheek.

Kuja felt himself blush. "I am glad that Zaruyon's death was not wasted. It was a noble sacrifice."

"Well, don't dwell on it too much," Blank said. "We honored him today, as was his due, and I know you miss him, but feeling sad won't serve any purpose but to give yourself pain. We should do something to take your mind off of it."

"Perhaps," said Kuja softly, but his thoughts were elsewhere.

Suddenly Blank stopped and stepped in front of him, placing one hand on each of Kuja's shoulders. He looked Kuja right in the eye. "Hey," he said firmly. "I love you, okay?"

Kuja smiled at him, and the pain in his heart eased. He leaned forward and kissed Blank gently. "I know. I love you, as well."

Blank took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "That's... that's good," he said, and Kuja was surprised to notice how nervous he sounded. Blank continued, "Because, well, I have something for you."

Kuja looked at him curiously as Blank fumbled for something in the pocket of his tunic. "I've been meaning to give this to you ever since I woke up," he said. "But I wasn't sure if it was the right time. And I kind of think it is now. The right time, I mean. At least, I hope it is. Anyway."

He finally withdrew a small box and opened it. Kuja's eyes widened in amazement at its contents: a small, golden ring. Gold, like the eyes of his dragons. Like the eyes of Blank. He knew his mouth was hanging open, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from gaping. He looked back up from the box at Blank, who was blushing.

"Well," said Blank with an embarrassed look. "Anyway, it's a ring, obviously. I mean, it's a promise ring. I wanted to give you my oath..." and here he looked up at Kuja, and even though Blank's eyes were covered, Kuja could feel them boring into him. "I wanted to give you my oath that, if you'll have me, I'll stay with you. Forever."

Kuja was completely speechless, and once again had to tilt his head down to stop the burning at the corner of his eyes from becoming tears. The difference was, these were tears of joy. Not trusting his voice to be steady, Kuja nodded. Blank removed the ring from the box and slipped it deftly onto Kuja's finger.

It was a perfect fit.

- The End -

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